Innocent Blood
Author: P. D. James
Date: 2001-08-02 00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance
Description: Adopted as a child into a privileged family, Philippa Palfrey fantasizes that she is the daughter of an aristocrat and a parlor maid. The terrifying truth about her parents and a long-ago murder is only the first in a series of shocking betrayals. Philippa quickly learns that those who delve into the secrets of the past must be on guard when long-buried horrors begin to stir. "As a crime novel," wrote the London Times, Innocent Blood is "the peak of the art." "Flawlessly crafted...profoundly, masterfully moving," Cosmopolitan concurred.
Publisher: Scribner

Lords of the Expanse 2

Trained in Blood

As a lady of her world, Violet Macy was raised to be gentle, considerate, polite, and demure. But the training she gets when taken off the streets is more than even she can bear. Armed with knowledge of the enemy of her people, she makes a daring decision and heads straight for them.

As colonel of a ship in the Vampire fleet, Titan Rostam has seen and dealt with many things. But a half-naked female requesting asylum is a first for even him. With danger nipping at her heels in the form of the Syndicate, he has a choice to make—hand her off or marry her. The choice he makes will reshape his life.

As a seer of future events, Violet had no idea just how dramatically her life would change when she escaped her prison. Now if she can only survive long enough to enjoy it with the man who surprises her every day of her life.

Genre: Futuristic, Science Fiction, Vampires/Werewolves

Length: 59,538 words

TRAINED IN BLOOD

Lords of the Expanse 2

Honor James

EROTIC ROMANCE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

TRAINED IN BLOOD

Copyright © 2013 by Honor James

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-701-7

First E-book Publication: July 2013

Cover design by Viola Estrella

All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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DEDICATION

For my family, every last one of you. Your support during this amazing process has been invaluable. Without all you’ve done for me, from snacks to the way you tiptoed from the room as I tried to figure out my latest chapter in the wee hours of the morning, I wouldn’t have gotten this one written.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. And for the next time, my darling children, momma needs more chocolate.

TRAINED IN BLOOD

Lords of the Expanse 2

HONOR JAMES

Copyright © 2013

Chapter One

Reading through the reports he occasionally put his initials here and there on the documents depending on what was needed. It had been a very long four months that he and his crew had been on patrol, but they were on the last leg of their tour and would be headed home soon enough. Thankfully though, they had been able to take leave on several planets on their mission route, thus giving everyone a break, but still after four months everyone just wanted to be back on their own soil, with their families and friends.

“Sir, we’re receiving a security warning priority three,” a young lieutenant said, approaching him with a data pad. Passing it over, he stepped back and folded his hands behind him. “It’s in the Syndicate’s space but we are the closest vessel.”

Turning the pad around, he read through the information. “They have nothing that can get here in time?” he asked the lieutenant.

“No, sir, we spoke with the nearest vessel and they asked that we handle this as they can’t get here in time to deal with the situation.”

“Understood,” Titan said with a small frown. “Someone stole a spacecraft?” he asked, looking up with a clear question on his face.

“Yes, sir, apparently one of the residents wasn’t willing to wait for the shuttle back to wherever they needed to go and decided to get there their own way,” the lieutenant filled in for his superior officer. “The small spacecraft was taken from the port and, after a few false starts and nearly taking out another vessel landing, they got it into the air and broke orbit. No other vessels on the ground were available to follow and none of them have tracking abilities, the tractor technology, or a hold large enough to pull the vessel in. I followed procedures and contacted the Syndicate to alert them to the situation. They had already received the same and, while they are dispatching a vessel to the area, they cannot get here for nearly a week and by then the vessel could be anywhere.”

Nodding slowly Titan finished reading the short report and made his decision. “Alert command to what we are doing. Transmit all the reports and transmissions with the Syndicate as well. Helm, new coordinates,” he called out and then read off the galactic coordinates. Once it was confirmed he handed the data pad back to the other man. “Good job, Lieutenant,” he said.

“Thank you, sir,” the lieutenant replied, taking the pad and turning to return to his station. He was ecstatic. Getting any sort of accolade from the colonel was so rare that he’d never heard of one, and yet to receive one was career making. Sitting back at his station though he was calm and went back to work. He knew better than to express anything in public. It was not how things were done in their society and it would only get him reprimanded which would nullify any accolade.

“We are on course for the last known location of the vessel,” Titan’s second said, moving up beside him. “We’ll be in scanning range within twenty minutes, sir,” he added, going to military rest.

“Let me know when we are there, Major,” Titan said, turning his attention back to the other reports to finish his work. He’d have to do a debrief when they reached home port, but having all his reports in order would cut that time in nearly half.

“Sir,” the major said just over twenty minutes later, “we are within scanning range and have picked up a small space craft.”

Looking up Titan nodded and seconds later the information was being displayed on the main board that spanned the front of the command center. Pushing up from his chair Titan moved around his console to stand in the main area before the screens. “No weapons, excellent shields but a lot of power,” he commented as he scanned the readings quickly. “Helm, get us within range of the vessel. Communications, once we are close enough hail the craft and order them to stop their engines and lower their shields.”

“By that point, sir, they will be on our border,” the major murmured in a low tone, shooting him a look. Titan knew he’d done the same calculations he had to get to that conclusion.

“We will not shoot first, Major,” Titan said softly, keeping the command decisions and chitchat between them as the crew had no need to know anything of this. The crew knew procedure and their laws stated that without any contact from a vessel approaching their borders meant they fired first and asked questions later. But in this case Titan was rescinding those orders temporarily.

“Understood, sir.” The major nodded. “What are your orders then, sir?” The question hung in the air from the major.

“We will order them to cease and desist. From there we will decide, Major,” Titan said in a louder tone so that all his crew would hear the words and understand. “How long until we are in range to pull them aboard?” he asked, looking to the crew at the radar stations.

“Another ten, sir,” a young sergeant said without looking up from his station.

“Sir!” came a sharp voice at the station one over. “We’ve got another vessel approaching, sir.”

“Damn,” muttered the major. “Identify, Sergeant,” he ordered sharply before moving to stand behind the young man.

“On screen now, sir,” the sergeant said, all heads turning to the main display.

“I thought the Syndicate said they had no vessel in range.” Titan growled, seeing the standards of the Syndicate spacecraft.

“They did say that, sir,” the major reported tightly.

“They lied in other words,” Titan snarled. “What are they doing?”

“They are powering up all weapons, sir, and they are burning hot,” the sergeant reported, his words telling them that the ship was putting their engines into the red to reach the vessel.

“Do we let them deal with it, sir? Perhaps the vessel was not originally in the area and just received word from their leaders,” the major enquired.

“Time to the spacecraft reaching our border?” Titan asked sharply, his eyes watching the markings on the large map laid out before them all.

“They are on the outer edge now, Colonel,” one of the Sergeants said sharply.

“Warn off the Syndicate vessel,” Titan ordered, looking to the lieutenant at the communication station. “If they breach our borders they will be fired upon. Arm weapons, armor and shields full power,” he added, looking to another station in control of weapons and their shielding. “Get us there as fast as possible. Major, target the Syndicate vessel and make sure they know we are not amused by their movements.”

“Yes, sir,” the major said, moving toward the control area for the large ship’s engines and directional controls.

“Sir, we’re in visual range of the small spacecraft,” a voice said sharply.

“Full alert, flash message command,” Titan ordered, knowing that the communications station scrambled to ensure that all information and data their vessel was holding was sent in a burst message back to their home world. It was a safety measure in case they were destroyed, not that any of them planned on dying that day, especially by Syndicate weapons. “Time to intercept of the spacecraft?” he asked, looking toward his men.

“Two minutes,” he was told in a tight voice, the young man manning the radar tense. It was the sergeant’s first mission and it was to be a smooth border patrol, nothing more.

Moving up behind the young man Titan looked down at him. “Breathe,” he murmured quietly just for the man’s ears. “We’re bigger, better armed, and we are better shielded than the craft out there. They can’t hurt us,” he said in an attempt to reassure the young man with the facts and keep his mind where it was needed, on the task at hand.

“Yes, sir,” the sergeant murmured, taking a breath and visibly relaxing.

Nodding Titan looked to the display. “Time?” he asked the young man.

“Thirty seconds and counting, sir,” the sergeant reported in a stronger, clearer tone. Pressing a couple buttons he nodded when the time dissipated completely.

“Pull the vessel aboard now,” Titan ordered as he turned to look at the major. Getting a nod in return the major moved to supervise the operation of bringing the small spacecraft into their shields and then into a landing bay.

Three tense minutes later the major turned. “The craft is in bay four, sir,” he reported.

“The Syndicate craft?” Titan asked, eyeing the screen.

“Still coming for us, sir,” a sergeant said quickly, the tension rising again.

“Back us further into our territory, Major, and if that ship breaches the border fire three warning shots over their hull.” Titan shared a look with his second.

“Aye, sir.” The major nodded with a gleam in his eyes. They both knew that the third shot would graze the vessel, accidently of course.

“I’ll be in the bay seeing just who our ‘guest’ is,” Titan said. “Command is yours, Major.”

“Command is mine, aye, Colonel.” The major moved so he was able to see all that was going on around them.

Signaling to four of the guards in the corridor as he moved to the lift Titan refocused his attention. The major would handle anything the Syndicate stupidly did. Right now they had a “guest” on board that no one knew anything about. Riding the lift he looked to the guards. “Assume whoever is on board is armed,” he ordered. “But do not fire unless fired upon or if I order otherwise.” Looking to one he nodded to the side piece. “Put your weapon on stun just in case they are not armed and are not cooperative, Chief.”

Seconds later they moved up the corridor to the bay and he signaled the other four guards waiting there. “Open it and remain here,” he ordered. When the door opened he stepped inside with the guards fanning out, one moving to the control panel that was holding a shield around the vessel to keep it from allowing the occupant to open the ship and run. “Open the vessel,” he ordered a second guard as the first shut down the shielding and they got into position.

The ramp came down and they all stared at who was there and just what they were dressed in, or rather, what they weren’t wearing. “They called out a hunt on a consort,” Titan murmured in confusion as he stared at the female standing there in just enough clothing to be legally covered by all standards but definitely not warm.

Chapter Two

“This one is going to be difficult to break,” the discombobulated voice said from behind the dark curtain.

“I don’t care what it takes, break her. Look at her, she is perfect,” the rough-as-nails voice said scratchily, as if he were talking through a cold or something worse. “She will be the perfect one to break the bastards.” He growled.

“We will try not to break her, sir.” There was a pause and a thump followed with the sound of papers falling and then the squeak of the man’s voice. “I meant mark her, sir. We will break her, I meant mark her.”

“Make sure that you don’t mar her beauty because that is what will take those smug emotionless bastards down.” The sound of a body falling was clear and then the closing of a door followed by the one man coughing and then saying, “No, no, I’m fine, dammit. Start her on the drugs.”

“Yes, sir,” came the small feminine voice before she saw the chocolate-skinned woman entering the curtained room where she was strapped to a metal table. “Seems as if you are the unlucky one today, I’m sorry,” the woman whispered before she pressed a hypodermic gun to the side of Violet’s neck and depressed the lever.

The gag in her mouth and the metal bands around her body kept her from moving from the pain of the hypodermic gun to her neck. She wanted to scream as she felt the acidic burn of the drug sweeping through her system but all sound was cut off before the black ink of unconsciousness overtook her and forced her under.

* * * *

Six hundred and fifty-one sunrises through the four-inch window from the one wall that was concrete and steel, the one wall that kept her from the outdoors, that was how long she was in the sixteen-by-eight room. Three walls of solid glass, a ceiling of glass, and floor of charged metal, when they chose, was the reminder that she was never alone. She couldn’t see who watched her but she knew they did. Her face often turned up to the sun that came in that small window.

It looked as if she was always looking out that window and they had often remarked on that, using it as her gift if she would just cooperate. What they didn’t know was that she was actually using it to watch the incoming and outgoing space travel. They may think they were breaking her, but they weren’t.

“It is time for your poise lessons,” came the silky-smooth voice of a woman that Violet had never met. But Vi knew what that meant. She knew that she had to move to the center of the room where there was a small indent now from her feet. Standing tall and straight she held her shoulders back and head up as she listened to the electrical current start to hum all around her on all the other parts of the floor.

“Very good, Violet. Talk to us, charm us.”

It went on like this every day, every hour for eleven hours. She would then have streaming holographs on all the walls surrounding her, increasing her IQ exponentially, giving her not only intelligence but also a will to live, but they didn’t need to know that.

She was poised, could charm a snake, and was deadlier than any assassin ever created, and that was their mistake. They gave her too much knowledge, too many physical and mental skills, and never increased the dosage of medication they gave her.

Finally night came. Tonight she would learn just how many watched her sleep. With that thought she lay down in her metal bed and once more began to work on the pipe. They thought she was crying with her back to them, and she had cried, for the first three nights, and then it was anger that fueled her. Working slowly on the joint she had the bed was soon ready to fall apart and tonight was that night.

No hesitation at all was in her as she grasped one pipe, then the other and threw one at the glass window with all she had in her, cracking the plate glass even as her bed fell to the floor. Rolling and jumping to her feet she raced for the glass and heard the surprised sounds as she took the other pipe and slammed it in with the first, separating the small fissure and widening it to allow herself to enter.

She heard the charging hum of the electrical floor in her room and just grinned at the night guard. “Surprise.” Without even pausing she heaved the pipe through the man’s skull and grabbed his long lab coat and keys as she raced out the door.

She knew what she had to do, and how to do it. The idiots of the “training facility” ensured that she was fully able to pilot any craft ever created, and they were nothing if not fastidious in their training. As she ran she hit another guard upside the head with the pipe and grabbed his gun before it was even able to clatter out of his dead and limp hands.

Behind her Violet left a path of destruction a meter wide. Anything came close, and she destroyed it.

Running full tilt in bare feet she jumped a transport, crossed over a drainage gully, and finally climbed a metallic fence to the air strip. Commandeering the first ship she came to she got in and programmed it for self destruct in thirty seconds, jumped from it, and ran to the second one in close proximity.

She hadn’t even cleared the air over the field when the explosion rocked and shook the little craft. Pulling up and into the reaches of space she didn’t know where to go, just that she had to go.

Her choice was made as she looked at the stars, noted her position and where she was. “Vampire space.” She bit back the laughter of the situation. Here she was, trained in every way known to kill a Vampire, and she was going to them to beg for Sanctuary. How classic was cosmic karma?

As the little ship moved through space Vi did some reconfiguring of the basics of the ship. She didn’t need weapons, so those were dropped quickly. Rerouting the power from the weapons to the shields and engine made the little vessel faster, and the armament kept it safer.

In the process of her “improvements” the lab coat was destroyed and sadly the only thing she found when she went rooting for clothing was a long, flowing red silk gown. Granted it went beautifully with her long dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, but it wasn’t something she would wear, ever. It was the gown of a consort, something she would never be.

She knew that she was cutting it close when the ship’s sensors picked up the Syndicate vessel but the Vampire ship was far superior. She just prayed they would allow her Sanctuary. She felt the pull of the tractor beam and knew she had been brought aboard the Vampire vessel, so calmly she moved to the rear hatch with her hands twined before her.

When the ramp came down and revealed all of the guns on her she was about to have something very angry to say. However, her tone and words were caught by the large military man before her. His words of “they called out a hunt on a consort” sent fire through her blood, and narrowing the blue eyes on him she said, in a soft growl, “I am not now, nor ever will I be any man’s consort. They tried to make me whore, tried to make me killer, but I am neither. I am Violet Macy, daughter of Lady Macy of the Mystical House of DeLinea on Westonian.” Naming her mother and the fact that she was a Seer might not be the best move, but as angry as she was with being thought of as a consort, she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“I formally beg for Sanctuary.” Finally that part came to her as she dropped to her knees now before the man who was obviously in charge. She hadn’t even realized she had moved, but she had. She had moved to just inches from him before she found her voice on her request for Sanctuary.

Staring down at the dark hair, silken in appearance, Titan hadn’t the faintest idea of what the hell had just happened. Shifting his eyes to the vessel at her back and then to the guards he signaled for two to check it out. When they returned moments later with a shake of their heads he knew he now had a decision to make. She was high born, her form of dress obviously due to circumstances and not birth or choice.

“Rise, Lady,” Titan said in his distinctive voice, lowering his eyes to the petite female. “Because of our alliance with Westonian you need not ask for Sanctuary. We freely extend it to you as our ally.” He’d have said more but one of the guards tapped his own ear frantically just as there was a small jolt up through the flooring of the vessel. “Your pardon, my Lady,” he told her and, turning slightly, keyed his ear and voice piece. “Care to explain what you are doing to my ship, Major?” The question was deceptively soft.

“The Syndicate vessel fired on us, Colonel.” The major’s tone was understandably shocked and surprised. Much as what happens when the larger predator gets a swipe of claws from that of its tiny prey.

“You warned them off?” Titan asked.

“Of course, Colonel,” the major said. “We gave them the standard three shots over their bow and also attempted visual contact. When that was ignored we gave them the standard hails across all bands and have them recorded as saying, and I quote, ‘Return our property or perish,’ sir.”

“Their property?” Titan said softly as he looked to the woman and saw the flash of anger in her eyes. “Weapons to full power, Major. Destroy them.”

“Sir?!” the Major said stunned, again, this time by the order.

“You heard me, Major,” Titan said softly. “They have invaded our space after repeated attempts to make contact and they have threatened us. I want nothing to remain but dust. Are we clear, Major?”

“Perfectly, my Lord.” The major cleared his throat and disconnected.

“Take the Lady to my chambers and ensure she is fed and clothed with whatever we might have that is as appropriate as we can manage at this time,” Titan ordered, facing the woman once more. “Once we are finished with the Syndicate vessel, my Lady, we will prepare a short burst transmission from you to your home world if you wish. I’d suggest you figure out what you wish to include in it as it won’t be overly long.”

She wondered briefly if sending, “I’m not dead so make sure that whoever wanted me that way knows…” would go over well, but in the end shook her head. “I would rather not send anything. Please do not tell them I am alive.” Because she damn well wanted to face her mother in person, in surprise, and see if that conniving bitch had anything to do with her being sent to hell for the last two and a half years.

“As you wish, my Lady,” Titan said softly. He’d just inform them that they were coming to the planet and to ensure that the appropriate peoples were available to meet him. As he was from a Royal House he’d only get the top individuals, or rather, he’d better get the top dogs scraping and bowing with enthusiasm.

“Thank you.” She noted the insignia on the man’s uniform and the color. “Colonel, thank you for your rescue.” Because without his ship and his rescue of her she would have been the one vaporized in space, or worse, taken back. The Syndicate was most assuredly going to be pissed that their prized killer had been let off her leash, and she was pissed.

“You are most welcome, my Lady,” he told her and stepped back. “If you would go with the guards they will escort you to my quarters. Please avail yourself of anything and everything in the rooms and if you require anything further alert the guards and they shall procure it for you if we have it available.”

“Different clothes would be very wonderful. I don’t care if it is one of your uniforms,” she said simply as she looked down with distaste at the consort’s gown she was garbed in. “Again, thank you.” She spoke in only truth and honesty as she was led from him by his guards. She had to admit that he wasn’t what she had anticipated, this Vampire colonel. He was incredibly handsome, had intelligence that seemed to glow from his eyes, and had saved her. In her eyes, he was right up there in her top two favorite people.

* * * *

Watching her go, Titan frowned slightly and told the last two guards to stay with the vessel. Keying his ear piece again he ordered his second to send someone down to download the computer of the craft and get anything else they could from it. Walking the corridors he found himself heading for his quarters even as he got a report that the Syndicate vessel had turned tail and ran. They’d taken heavy damage but because they were back in their own space Titan called off the chase and ordered his second to head for their guest’s home planet.

Chapter Three

Reaching his rooms after passing along instructions to his crew, he lifted a brow to the guards who stood outside with their guest. Pressing his hand to the scanner he allowed her to enter and signaled the guards to wait outside. “The bathing room is through the arch just behind the bedroom section,” he told her. “If you can’t find anything in my closet I’m sure we have someone on board that is likely closer to your size.”

“Right now just getting clean and being out of these clothes will be wonderful.” She looked up at him and all the training over the last six hundred and some odd sunrises fled. It was as if he wiped it all away and made her feel like she were fresh and new once more. She would never be the person she had been before becoming a hostage again. Those who had taken her had made sure of it, but even though her innocence was stolen, it had never been given and suddenly she wanted to give it.

She really had to figure out just what was happening to her before she made her mother’s damn home world, and more than that, she had to figure out what it was about the colonel that seemed to short-circuit her brain.

“Was there something else, my Lady?” Titan asked with a raised brow while she just stared at him. She was trying to keep any real expression off her face except for a look of serenity.

“No.” She shook her head and watched him. “Thank you but you have done more than enough, Colonel.” She bowed her head once more and allowed her hair to fall down around her face. “But I believe that a sonic shower really sounds very good to me now.” She let it trail off knowing that he would get it. He would understand it sounded good to her, but only if he left.

“I shall have food and drink brought up,” he said, heading for the door once more. “If you require anything at all let one of the guards know and they will contact me. You may feel free to make use of the rooms. I shall take another set of quarters for the duration of the trip. We will reach your mother’s planet in a handful of days, my Lady.” He turned at the door and bowed lower. “Good evening.” And with that he left with the silent opening and closing of the door.

She really hoped it would take more than a handful of days to reach her mother’s home world. She needed time to think now that she was relatively safe, and come up with a plan because if her mother was the one who had sent her into that hell, she would likely try to send her back once the Vampire ship had left their system. No, she wouldn’t go back to that “training.” She would kill everyone in her path first and make them take her down.

Shaking off the feelings she had building she removed the offending garment and tossed it onto the chair before walking naked through the arch and into the bathing chamber. Taking it all in she smiled and nodded her approval before stepping into the sonic shower, and setting the timer to manual, she simply stood there under the rays and allowed it to soothe the aches and pains that she had.

* * * * *

“Sir.” One of the three captains on duty came up to him and passed a data pad over.

Taking it from the young man Titan frowned slightly and then nodded. “Thank you, Captain,” he murmured as he read the information. “Major, you have command,” he said before he turned and left the command level for his quarters.

Arriving just as one of the kitchen crew came to the door Titan buzzed twice in warning before he opened the door into the room, though he stayed, and kept the crew member out of sight into the room. “My Lady, your dinner has arrived,” he called in a slightly louder voice than normal.

The faint sound of fabric moving over flesh in the room beyond the main one had him stepping in and pointing to a table for the tray before dismissing the man. “You may want to come out and eat, my Lady, before we speak on another matter.” He was not sure if she’d want to after considering what he’d just read.

She walked out wearing one of his robes she’d found in the closet, and nothing else. “I am still waiting on clothing, so I hope that you don’t mind?” She indicated the robe she wore belted around her body. “The food smells wonderful, but what do you wish to discuss?” she asked as she stood there before him. She wasn’t going to sit until he had said whatever it was that he had to say. She could see by the look on his face that whatever it was, it was bad.

Passing her the data pad that had her face on it as well as a substantial amount under her picture and name he looked to her. “There has been a warrant sworn out on you for murder, theft of an air craft, as well as conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful flight from the law,” he told her straight out. He could have softened the words and thereby the blow of what it all meant, but he felt she deserved nothing but honesty.

A buzz at his door distracted him from watching the color fade from her face. Grinding his teeth together he went and opened the door, taking the small material bundle from one of the crewmen. With the man’s quick explanation Titan thanked him and shut the door locking it from within. He’d explain to her later about the clothing that the man had picked up for his wife by her favorite clothier that had moved to another world, but for now he had a feeling she didn’t really care about clothing. Setting the bundle aside he collected two glasses and a bottle of liquor, coming back to her as he poured a glass and holding it out.

She accepted the drink with shaking fingers and tossed back the first drink and then a second. “I would say they were lies.” But they both knew they weren’t. “They are leaving off very important facts, however. Ones that you should hear.” She looked up and added, “Ones that affect your whole race of people. I have information of the highest importance that your command would need. I need to go to your superiors.” She swallowed back the third drink as she added, “I need to inform them of the Syndicate’s training camp, of women being taught every way to kill a Vampire.” She looked at him and nodded. “Every way, Colonel. Not the myths, but the truth.”

“I see,” he murmured, pouring her a fourth drink before he poured himself a small amount and sat. Waving his hand to the other seat he stared at her for a moment. “I think some clarification would not be amiss, my Lady, as to just what manner of killing us you’ve been taught. If I’m to contact my superiors for this and alert them to the happenings on that world I will need something to go to them with.” And he needed something to keep her from either being executed outright or turned over to the Syndicate who would likely silence her after “reprimanding” her and then move their training operation.

“I know that the older you are the longer you are able to remain awake in the daytime. However, I also know you all have to sleep between ten a.m. and two p.m., and that the sun will burn your skin,” she muttered and crossed her legs, the bottoms of her feet holding the only scars on her body. “I know that the Alliance is ruled by seven members. Four senior and three younger who give a fresher point of view.” She tossed back a drink with a burning gag. “I was being trained to remove the threat of Andries Mauricio, and his bride.” Leaning her head back and closing her eyes she continued to drone on and on about the training she’d been given. “They kidnapped me from Naroba and held me on a small barren planet for six hundred and fifty-one sunrises. I don’t know how long that was because it seemed the suns rose quickly, but that’s how long they had me. I was trained to have poise, intelligence, and be deadly. I can fly any Alliance or Syndicate vessel, fire any weapon, but my specialty,” she snorted, “is knives.” She felt ill and shook her head. “If you are going to turn me over to the Syndicate, never trust them, ask your Alliance never to trust them. They are placating you in hopes that they can topple the Vampire Empire.”

“That we know,” Titan said quietly as he rolled the glass between his hands, his eyes watchful on her. “Your information is relatively accurate but it is definitely faulty on some of the points. And, going for the Lord Colonel and his wife specifically tells me that her father is behind it. He was hoping that the Lady’s husband would be cruel as our people are believed to be and she’d be tortured and eventually killed. The man miscalculated and is now trying to cover his tracks.” Nothing he told her was not already common knowledge. “With what you’ve told me there will be two choices for you,” he said, setting his glass down, not having touched the liquor. “The Alliance will either execute you for being an assassin as well as the fact you knowingly breeched our borders without any notification or plea for assistance. The other choice may be more or less to your palate, my Lady.”

“Being dead doesn’t exactly rate right up there, Colonel. Believe me when I tell you that living would be the best of the best. However, even I know when to give up and give in.” She was just so damn tired. Exhausted in a way that only torture would bring. They would never know just how close to honestly breaking her they had come.

Looking sharply to her when she spoke, the unvoiced question clear, Titan sighed quietly and looked away. “The other choice will be marriage to one of the Lords, usually one of the Royal Houses. You will be never allowed to return to your people, you will never be allowed to speak to your people, and you will be made to learn every aspect of our culture and fit in. You will also be required to give the Lord a child or be pregnant within the first year of your marriage. If you are not pregnant within a year on our world you will be publicly flogged and left out for three weeks for any and all of our peoples to do whatever they wish to you without any coverings. At the end of that three weeks, should you still be alive, you will be executed by evisceration and, should that fail to kill you, you will have your head removed.”

She watched him carefully and nodded. “Considering that I am a trained assassin I seriously doubt that any of the royals would want me as their bride.” She smiled and added, “The Syndicate wouldn’t want me dead. I’m the only child of the last of the Seers. I’m the last of their Seers.” She shrugged. “And yet they put me…” She sat up. “They put me through that training in hopes that I would be given the chance to marry inside of one of the Royal Houses.” She chewed her lip as things began to fall into place. “That is why I had the strict learning of your society. They think that with my breeding, lineage, and what they termed ‘poise’ I would be able to lure one of the older gentlemen.” She smacked her forehead and felt like screaming. “Your idea, Colonel, is a wonderful one and one that I would willingly jump on, but there is not a Lord on your planet that would be willing to marry me, especially now.”

Lifting a brow at her he had the sudden urge to laugh. She was drunk. Shaking his head he poured her another glass of the liquor and nudged it toward her. It was low, but she seemed so talkative that he couldn’t turn the opportunity down. “How do you know that there is a Lord of my world that would not willingly marry you, my Lady?” he asked, curious as to her thought process on that particular topic. “There are a great many Lords and I’m sure there are some that are looking to regain favor. Taking on a woman such as you, a great task I am sure, would raise them in the eyes of all their peers. Or there are the Lords that just would wish to have a beautiful woman always in their beds to have there for whatever their particular perversions might be.”

“That last one I can believe.” She took a long drink and let her head fall back once more. “They made sure that my scars didn’t show. Even gave me the injections in my head so that the hypodermic marks didn’t show.” She shrugged and swung her feet up and placed them in his lap. “Courtesy of the electrical floor when I didn’t behave.” They were mangled, hideous really. “But I know no Lord would want me as wife. Mistress maybe, sex slave, as long as I was in chains.” She smirked and shrugged, lying down against the sofa with her feet propped on his lap. “But that’s it and I will not now or ever be someone’s whore. They taught me all the ways of pleasure, but I am still no one’s whore.”

Pouring her more liquor Titan sat staring at her. She was very open now, odd compared to the very composed female that had regarded him originally. “I know of at least three that would take you to wife, though two of them have odd definitions of the position and I doubt that you would appreciate their predilections. The last is not old nor does he have any unusual quirks that may offend you. In comparison to the other two he is actually very restrained. But, as I mentioned, the Alliance would have to approve such a match and, depending on what other information you have to provide them with you may not get the chance at a life at all. So far what you’ve provided is common knowledge and, in reality, is more propaganda that our people spread in a specifically restricted manner to make other peoples believe that they have information they can use against us.”

She had never been able to hold liquor well, one of the “trainings” that she was working on. Cracking an eye she shrugged. “Is it common knowledge that the Lord Colonel Mauricio’s wife is with child, and that he has all but stepped up into his father’s place? Is it common knowledge that the Alliance Lords meet every fourth cycle in the basement of a temple ruins on your planet’s south pole? Or common knowledge that the Alliance is seeking a way to counter an illness that was once rampant in your culture and is now shown to have popped up in far-reaching colonies?”

His lips tightened slightly but he didn’t say anything for a brief moment. “Those are all interesting speculations but they still give me nothing that might save your life and give you a chance with the Lord of choice. That is of course if you wish to even go that path,” he commented. “Are you willing to marry the Lord I spoke of? Or would you prefer to be given to just any Lord if that is to be your fate?”

“I would if I could, Colonel,” she said with a sigh and turned slightly, eyes closed. She was past exhaustion, more than a lot tipsy, and unable to think clearly at all. “I wish that I could follow your direction, follow your thought about who you think might be willing.” She shrugged a delicate shoulder and smiled a smile of resignation. “But I have nothing to give you to save my life, but at least I will die free and not in the clutches of the Syndicate.” And as she closed her eyes the smallest tear rolled from the corner of her eye and down her cheek.

Chapter Four

The tear decided it for him. In that moment everything was crystal clear and he knew he’d ensure she had a life of some kind. “I think it is time for you to retire, my Lady. It has been a long day for you.” And against his better judgment, he got to his feet and picked her up to cradle her against him. She was so light, too light point of fact. She needed more meat on her bones.

Shaking his head slightly he carried her through the bedroom and, kneeling, he pulled back the covers before laying her down on the crisp sheets. Drawing the covers over her he brushed back a piece of her hair that had fallen across her face. “Rest, my Lady, in the morning many things will be clearer than they are now and hopefully I will have answers for you as well so that you need not worry about what fate may await you upon our arrival on my world. I think though, for all concerned we will slow our voyage to your mother’s world, stall for a time if you will, while I contact the Alliance and see what can be done for you.”

She nodded and looked up at him and as she watched him her eyes glazed over. “What’s worse is that I see the son I give him. He’s gloriously beautiful.” She was speaking, but her voice sounded distant, almost an echo. “He looks like you, the son.” That information didn’t really register as she spoke. “The son that I would have given was to be the first male Seer in my line.” She smiled faintly and then closed her eyes, turned to her side, and was sound asleep before he could demand any answers from her.

Stroking her hair gently Titan sat for a moment on the side of the bed just staring at her. Heaving a breath he moved from the room, lowering the lights to the lowest setting, not wanting her to wake in a strange room in the dark. Letting the Major know he wouldn’t be returning to the command deck, Titan sat on the low plush bench in his outer room and began to compose his message to the Alliance. As it was early evening on his world he’d be able to reach them all and, if they convened quickly and put it to vote, he’d know before she woke in the morning. Her sleepy words had sealed her fate in his mind and, as he wrote, he kept that at the forefront of his thoughts. One way or another, Violet Macy’s life was going to be in his hands.

She slept dreamlessly. She slept far more peacefully than she had ever imagined she would. It was the combination of exhaustion, fear, and the new feeling of safety that had her sleeping through the night and into the late morning. When she finally opened her eyes she looked around with a slight frown and rose to the side of the bed. Her head hanging down low she pushed to her feet and started for the very, very much-needed bathroom and shower.

Going through his ship reports the next morning he lifted his head at the sound of the sonic shower starting up and, with a quick word into his ear piece, breakfast was heading their way. Moments before she shut the shower unit off breakfast was set on the table and he was back with his reports. Very early that morning he’d gotten a message from the Alliance and it had been exactly what he’d wanted to hear. “Good morning, there is lots of food so help yourself,” he said as he stood, pulling out a chair on the opposite side of the table for her as she came slowly out of the bedroom.

She was dressed in the clothes that he had laid out for her the night before. “Thank you. I think that the drugs are finally working their way out of my system and I can feel every single one of them as they do that.” She finally looked up. “Thank you, Colonel.” She shifted on her feet as if not comfortable with the situation. “Did you sleep?”

“For an hour,” he told her as he retook his own seat and pulled the covers off the five separate trays. “They may have overdone the amount of food required so only eat what you can,” he advised, setting the covers aside. “As our cooks only have men to make meals for they appear to have been slightly excited about showing off for a Lady in our midst.” Waving a hand at everything he looked to her. “Dig in,” he suggested before he went back to reading the reports and making notes, sending them back for revisions or signing off on them as he drank his meal supplement with the required amount of blood, the supplements ensuring the blood couldn’t be scented.

She slowly began to dig into the dishes and grinned. “That’s very nice.” Once she had her plate half-full she asked the question she had glimmering in her eyes. “All right, Colonel.” She leaned back in her chair and folded the napkin in her lap. “How much longer do I have to live? I would like to know so that I can hopefully live each day that I have left to the fullest.”

Lifting a brow at her question he set the data pad down on the table and sat back in his seat. “Direct,” he said. “I must applaud you for that. As to how long you have to live, that depends upon you, my Lady. You have two options that I will present to you with equal detail and you must choose one of them. I have contacted the Alliance and from what I told them of the situation they are in agreement with both choices though they did have a third that was less than acceptable but, if you wish I will present that as well.”

“All right.” She grabbed the juice in the glass and started to drink. “Would you please begin them now? I don’t think that I could possibly eat without knowing what my future will be, Colonel.” Placing the juice down carefully she took up her fork in her hand and began to slowly cut up and begin to eat.

“Option one is that you marry a Lord that has already been predetermined and bear a child or be with child within the first year of your marriage. You will need to fully integrate to your new life, you will need to be a good wife to the Lord chosen, and he will report at the end of the year to the Alliance.” Watching her for a moment as she ate he waited as she digested that piece of news.

She listened to him and finally nodded. A part of her mind floated over something. She wasn’t sure what though. As she watched him she could almost see him proudly holding a small boy who looked so much like him, a son that had laughing and teasing eyes that danced with delight, and a part of Violet’s heart clenched as she wished she could see that in reality. “So become a brood mare,” she snarked out blithely.

“Option two is that you will be pronounced a prize of war and stripped of all rights under our laws as a female. You will be auctioned off to the highest bidder for whatever the buyer might wish. You will have no choice in the matter, you will not be able to complain to anyone of whatever is done, and you will never leave whatever house you end up in,” he said, folding his hands in his lap.

“Right, so become someone’s slave,” she grumbled but continued to look at him, seeing the child in his arms and wondering why it seemed so familiar to her.

“Option three,” he began after a moment of just watching her, “is that you will be executed according to our laws as a spy in times of war. It will be public, it will be bloody, it will be humiliating, and it will be very final. Our executioners can keep a person alive for well over a month. During that time you will be stripped naked, put in what is known as the shackles and any man, woman, or child will be able to do anything and everything to you in front of whatever crowd gathers. After two weeks of that you will be laid out and parts of you will be removed until you are just barely alive at which time they may or may not take measures to keep you in that state for an undetermined time or until they are satisfied before your head is removed in public and a publicized display to all our enemies as to what will happen should they cross us.”

She nearly fell out of her chair as she looked at him. Shaking her head she said, “Right, so we can mark number three off because I really do want to live, Colonel. I want a life, and not to die like that.” Her fork down now, appetite gone she sighed. “Number two doesn’t appeal to me at all so it is number one, Colonel.” She licked her lip and looked down at her hands before looking back up at him. “The Lord that the Alliance has chosen, is he a good man?”

“Some say he is and others say not so much, but I suppose that can be said about any man depending upon who you ask. But I would say, from what I know, you will have no hardships with him. You will not be mistreated in any manner and you will, if you wish to do so, have a full and fulfilling life,” Titan told her honestly. “Whatever your choice is, my Lady, I suggest you think on it for a time before you fully decide as you will not know the name of the Lord you will be wed to until after you have signed the agreement.”

“I’m sorry, Colonel, but there isn’t anything to think about.” The wan smile was there as she tried to force herself to eat. “If the Lord in question will have me, I would prefer option number one.” She let out a sigh and shrugged. “The question isn’t if I would accept him, Colonel”—she chewed the bite in her mouth—“but if he would accept me.”

Picking up a second data pad he passed it to her. “You may read through the agreement and sign”—he handed her the stylus—“at the bottom. There are red tags along the page that you should initial at if you are in agreement. Once you are done the intended Lord will do the same and then it will all be sent to the Alliance and it will be considered done. There will be a small ceremony before them for legality’s sake, but from the moment you sign the agreement you will be his wife by our laws.”

She took the stylus and began to read through the agreement and frowned. “This isn’t giving the Lord of choice very much from the considerable wealth that is a part of my dowry.” She shrugged and then smiled. “It’s okay though. The ties can be completely cut this way. Can I make the arrangements through the Lord of choice to have my dowry given to the needy on my home world?” she questioned as she began to sign her name and then initial the proper places. Pushing it back to him she smiled. “At least I have a good marriage breakfast, right?”

“You will have to discuss it with the Lord in question but I doubt he will have much need for the money and he will likely approve of whatever choices you should make with your money as it will remain yours,” he commented as he appeared to read through the document. After a moment he started to sign off quickly before doing a big swoop at the bottom of the agreement. Getting to his feet he went to the door and passed it to a guard. “Have the major send that via secure channels to the Alliance and have him also alert them that the marriage contract is complete and upon our return the Lady and I will have our ceremony for official purposes.” Closing the door he walked back to the table, sat, lifted his glass, and went back to work once more as he drank. “You should finish your marriage breakfast.”

She looked at him and was at a toss-up of what she wanted to do. It was either hit him, or hug him. She wasn’t sure which. “You knew. The whole time, even when you brought it up last night you knew, didn’t you?” Part of her was hurt, hurt because he hadn’t told her, but part of her stood up and applauded because that was actually really well done of him. “All right, husband.” The sweet tone should have been the alert to him that the next words wouldn’t be appreciated but they were stilled as she once more had a vision. Her eyes clouded over and her hand gripped the knife she was holding so tightly that she drew her own blood. “You will be given a son within nine months.” She breathed in a voice not her own. “If you can keep him and his mother alive that is. Death is coming. The dealer of Death wants their pound of flesh and has set its sights on the Seer who is Killer.”

Frowning at her he set the glass down and leaned forward in his chair. “Violet.” He said her given name sharply to bring her back. “Are you all right?” he asked with real concern though only a little came through his voice, his “training” likely holding him back. Reaching out, he hesitated and then he put his hand palm down on the table before he could touch her. “Violet?” He said her name once more.

She turned to him and the laugh that escaped her lips was not her own. “Be wary, Warrior, the fate of your son and the woman who will hold your heart will be in your hands.” When she blinked out she felt ill and leaned forward, her hand sliding forward and touching his, and then lacing her fingers with his as she said, “That one hurt.” They never hurt, but that one did.

He’d stilled, completely, at the first brush of her skin to his and had flinched slightly. He’d been taught that touch was to bring pain and it did, even though it was only psychological now. Fighting the urge to pull back from her sharply he instead rubbed his thumb lightly over her finger. He knew what she’d been saying and why. He knew of the Seers if only in theory, having never met any of the rare breed. The fact that she was one gave him an odd sense of pride and absolute terror. “You should lay down, my Lady,” he said in a soft tone. “You are rather pale.”

She pulled back from him when she realized she had touched him. That was one of the biggest things they had been teaching her at the time, was that Vampires do not touch. It was not so common knowledge that many of the eldest couples no longer physically consummated marriages and in fact when they wanted to have a child it was clinical and scientific. “I’m sorry,” she said as she completely pulled back from him. “I won’t touch you again.” She did stand this time. “Thank you for everything, Colonel, but I believe you’re right. I should lie down.” Bowing her head respectfully she withdrew from him and went to the bedroom before he could utter a word.

Frowning after her Titan sat back in his chair and drew his hand back to him. When he was sure she would not return he lifted it and inhaled her scent from his fingers. In the next instant a flash of heat whipped through him and he knew he’d be able to find her anywhere on the ship from her scent alone. But now that he had her scent he wondered what she tasted like. Shaking his head at his unproductive thoughts he dropped his hand and began to work again. He had a lot to finish before they reached home port which, after his confirmation from the Alliance in the early hours, he’d ordered his ship to head back to.

For several hours he went through report after report and had nearly finished when he realized he was starting to doze at the table. Shaking his head sharply he got to his feet to pace the room and try to wake properly. He was used to less sleep than he’d had last evening and for even longer durations than a single night, but it had been a long mission and his body knew it. Giving in he settled on the low-lying long and plushly padded bench along a wall after removing his uniform jacket and lay on his back, one wrist braced on his forehead, his other hand on his chest. He didn’t stay awake long and soon slipped off into the Vampire equivalent of sleep.

Violet came out and seeing him as he was lying there had her heart softening. She had slept more than she had intended so she pulled a cushion over and close to him, close enough to feel the heat of his body, but not touching him. She had resigned herself to a loveless marriage, one where her husband wouldn’t even be able to stand her touch. She had done it willingly and somehow deep inside she had known the whole time it was him that he had been talking about for her husband. She sighed and dropped her chin to rest on her knees drawn up and watched him. She had been trained to be an assassin, and she was. She was very good at killing, but they never killed off the parts of her that didn’t believe in killing, the soft places in her heart and soul where she craved others to be in her life. She craved love, something she now would never have. However, knowing her luck she wouldn’t get pregnant at all. Knowing her luck that wasn’t to be for her, and that hurt for more reasons than her possible death, but more because she would never hold a child of her own.

He’d woken as soon as the first of her feet had hit the carpet of the outer room. But he remained still and breathing as he had been to see what she would do. When she had settled at his side he’d been stunned and the heat of her body practically burned his arm. Lifting a lid he looked to her and watched for a moment, the forlorn look on her face a sharp blade to his heart. That in itself was a shock. Titan had always believed his heart long dead, but around her it seemed to have found new life, disturbing to say the least. Moving his arm he brushed back some of her hair with a light finger. “What heavy thoughts are disturbing you so, my Lady?” he asked softly, meeting her shocked gaze as she looked to him.

Another reminder of what their life was to be, “my Lady.” “Nothing to trouble you with, Colonel.” She rose slowly from the cushion she had sat upon and looked down at him. “Your bed is free if you wish to have a true sleep. It is I that should take the couch, not you,” she insisted. “You’ve given up enough as it is, Colonel.” He had given up a year of his life to be with her. He was to be her babysitter for one of the Vampire years until she was marched forth and executed because she wasn’t with child. “You have such a promising career ahead of you, Colonel.” She spoke softly, breaking the silence. “You are going to one day take over your father’s house and become a great Lord, one of the seven,” she whispered. “You, Colonel Mauricio, and Colonel Reichart are already the three younger Lords. Soon you will be three of the four older, more powerful Lords.” She was speaking through a vision, but not one that hurt. It was a simple telling of what was to come. “Colonel Mauricio’s son is strong. Your friend Colonel Reichart’s daughter will align Colonel Mauricio’s house and his through marriage.” She looked up at him and smiled softly. “And your son will align the house of the fourth Lord and your house.” She shrugged. “He is born of a Vampire mother. The pregnancy will be hard on her, Colonel. Take care of her when you find her.” She was thinking that he would find her very shortly after her year was up. Of that she was sure.

Shifting he sat up and, without thought, took her hand in his and pulled her to sit on his knee. Wrapping his arms around her before she could move he justified it in his mind as wanting her to sit still and listen instead of running as she was likely to do otherwise. “My name is Titan, Titan Rostam, not Colonel.” Though when she said his station he kept having the oddest urge to duck and cup himself out of a need for safety. “If you are so certain that you are not going to be here in a year and that you are not the woman to give my house this son, why did you even bother agreeing to what you obviously perceive as nothing more than a farce, my Lady? If you are so sure that you will be executed at the end of the year as the terms state, why not walk to the Alliance with dignity and ask for death? With the power my house holds we could have staved off the torture and given you a warrior’s death, Violet.” He asked his questions softly, knowing that sometimes the softest of words held the greatest impact.

“Because I am a coward and afraid to die,” she whispered softly but felt her body relaxing against his. “I am not a Warrior, Titan. I never was one.” Using his first name was an oddity, but one she very much liked. “They tried to make me into one and I guess in some ways they succeeded because I can certainly take care of myself and I did take lives in order to escape but I hate to fight, I can’t stand to battle.” She was actually a very peaceful woman, one of the reasons they wanted her. “And I’m sure I won’t be the one to give your house a son because you can’t even touch me without hurting. I know why, and I even understand it and while I know that so many of the older Lords and Ladies use scientific means to conceive, I know that I never could. I need the little things.” Like touch, caresses, kisses. The feel of his skin to hers called out to her like a siren’s song. “And you aren’t able to do that. I don’t blame you, or any of your people but I want more than just a lab-created child. I want one born of passion, of caring.” And that was why she wasn’t to be the one to give him a son.

“It’s true that touch does cause me pain, but it can be overcome, Violet,” he said, quietly lifting one of her hands up with the one of his not wrapped around her back. Gently he toyed with her fingers. “I am able, if I believe the person is worthy of such a thing, of giving touch and more. You should not judge all my people by what you have been told by those trying to control you. If you want to know more about me, ask me, Violet. If you want to know about my people you can also ask me or I can get you a data pad with our full history for you to read through.” Leaning in just to throw her off he pressed a light kiss to the soft skin just under her ear. “Don’t judge us by our reputation,” he whispered softly against her skin, “We are not all what we appear to be.”

“I want to know everything about you, Titan. Later I will learn about your people but it’s you, you that I want and need to know about,” she whispered softly and then looked up again. “You kissed me.” It wasn’t an accusation but a statement of wonder as she lifted her hand and touched the gentle mark on her neck behind her ear.

“And it worked in getting your mind off the dark thoughts you seemed to be circling about,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’m also holding you and touching your skin if it had escaped your notice and I’m not on the floor writhing in pain.” That held the tiniest amount of humor in it. “You may ask anything you wish to know and I will try and tell you everything I can on the topic. But if you ask me to tell you all about me again in such a general manner I may just decide I have work to do instead.”

She grinned at him and shook her head. “Are you teasing me?” she asked with laughter dancing in her eyes. “All right, I will have to think about what I would like to ask you in particular. However, right now, Titan…” She liked his name. It was strong and fit the man, she decided. “For now you really should go and lie down in a real bed. I will just grab something to read while you sleep.”

Shaking his head he looked to her. “I do not require as much rest as you do, my Lady. A few hours is all that is necessary to have me fit for duty. I have work that needs to be done before we return to home port which, because of events outside our control is two weeks earlier than normal. So ask some questions if you wish or I will get you a data pad to read from while I continue working,” he said softly.

“You mean because you found me you will be in home port two weeks earlier, right?” Violet shook her head and smiled up at him. “All right then, so you will be home earlier and while I know that you can work on less sleep than what I need, I still say that you shouldn’t give up your bed for me.”

“It’s not a hardship, believe me, my Lady,” Titan told her quietly. “Yes, we will be home early because we found you and because we are also not stopping by your mother’s home world. Another ship will be going to her and finding out just what her excuses might be for your treatment. But with the shorter trip I am behind schedule on my reports as they need to be completed before we reach port. We’ve slowed as much as we dare to buy us all additional time, but we will still be there in four days since the only way we could go any slower would be in reverse,” he said in a dry tone.

Again a joke from him. He was proving to be the surprise wrapped up in an enigma. “How can I help you, Titan? I refuse to simply sit in this room for four days, so tell me how it is that I can help you? I know I can’t do your reports, but there has to be something that I can do?”

“Read and learn about my…our,” he changed quickly, “world, Violet. Some of what you have been taught is true, but some is lies plain and simple. You need to know the customs and unfortunately you do not have a lot of time to learn the laws or about our world. From the moment you step foot onto the ground you will be watched, you will be tested, and you will be probed with questions wrapped in lies and twisted with truths. You will need to know what is and what is not fact.”

“I will do this for you, Titan.” She smiled softly up at him and nodded. “All right, I need to know where to find the data pads that I will need for this learning process, Titan. I want to make sure that when I step off of this ship I will make you proud.” There was a pause. “Why did you save me, Titan? And don’t say you didn’t because we both know you did, so why did you?”

“Because it was the right thing to do, Violet,” he told her simply. Lifting her off his knee to her feet he stood and went to a cabinet on one wall. Pulling out a data pad he looked at it for a moment and then passed it to her. “You can access anything and everything about our world via this. If there’s something you can’t find or anything that is blocked let me know. My codes will get through any of the security checks.”

“If there is security blocking something it is likely for a good reason. I will only read what I can and then I will ask you to fill in the blanks for me.” She smiled down at the pad and nodded. “Thank you for this.” She moved with him and then frowned. “Is it all right if I go to the training gym and walk as I read?” They had the tracks built for walking in the gym, and it was somewhere where she knew that she wouldn’t have to worry about having a guard on her all the time.

“If you wish,” he told her. “Ask one of the guards outside to escort you,” he said as he moved back to the table to pick up the data pads laying there. “It’s for your safety, Violet,” he added when she made a noise in her throat. “The crew was only informed of your new station this morning and we’ve been out of a port for almost six months. Just do it please?” he asked quietly.

“It’s all right, Titan, I understand,” she said with a smile and nodded. “Thank you for caring enough to want to keep me healthy and happy.” She leaned up and without considering the ramifications, brushed her lips over his cheek. “Now, get to work, husband.”

Chapter Five

Had he not been so tired he’d likely have reacted fast enough to catch her, but by the time everything clicked she was out the door and away with a guard in tow. Lifting a hand he lightly touched his cheek where her lips had pressed. Shaking his head sharply he snorted. “Fool,” he muttered. She was playing him, he was sure of it, but if she wasn’t…Pausing he shook his head again, impossible.

For two hours he worked at a crazed pace but finally he couldn’t see straight any longer and, stumbling like a drunkard, he made it to his room. A quick sonic shower later he stripped down to a pair of exercise shorts and collapsed face-down on his bed. Scratching idly at the middle of his back where a small design rested he threw his arm out and tucked the other under his head and was asleep moments later.

When she came back she noted the muted lights and smiled. “Silly man, not tired my big toe.” Walking into the bedroom she saw him draped there naked save for the sheet slung low on his back and had to bite her lip to stop herself from letting out a moan. She approached him slowly and what she saw there had her stopping completely. Leaning in she lightly touched the tattoo, her name. She knew his language in writing, speaking, and reading, and this, this was her name. Why had he marked himself with her name? And for a Vampire to hold a marking was a brutal and painful experience, so why had he done it?

His hand came up before he was awake and rolled. He pulled on her wrist, tugging her body down as he continued to roll over to pin her body down, hands overhead. Blinking he frowned slightly as he seemed to become aware who he had trapped and, a moment later, eased his bruising hold on her wrists. “Violet.” He murmured her name, blinking quickly. “Is something wrong?” he asked, looking at her with concern.

“You marked yourself with my name. You placed my name inside of your family’s crest, Titan, why?” she whispered and felt a moisture gathered at her eyes that had her brushing away at it with frustration. “No one has ever cared enough for me to even write my name in their blotter or appointment book, but you marked yourself, permanently.” There was a pause followed by, “Why?” She wasn’t complaining, just trying to realize why.

Staring down at her for a moment he let out a breath, a shaky breath. Shifting off her he lay at her side and propped himself up on an arm, his other hand resting lightly across her midriff. “It is a tradition in my family, something that the men of my line do. When we come of age the crest is put into our flesh and, when we marry, our wife’s name is added for luck and prosperity upon our House and the hope of a child to bless us all. In my family we only marry once and we have long lives with those we take to wife. I don’t intend on changing that, Violet, so you’d better plan on sticking around,” he told her softly.

She turned into him and placed her hand on his chest. “I want to stay around.” She found a smile deep inside of herself and then said, “But I guess for me to stick around for a while I have to give you a child, don’t I?” There was a pause before she said, “However, no matter how many children I give you, Titan, I am essentially human and I won’t live nearly as long as you do.”

“There is a…” He stopped and sighed, moving his hand from her stomach to rub at his face. “My people can turn others into what we are,” he told her quietly. “It’s not common, it’s not easy, and on occasion it just doesn’t happen as it should, but it’s a possibility.”

He was the sweetest thing ever. None of the “training” she had could have prepared her for him. Smiling she reached out and touched his cheek. “How about you see if you can even deal with having me for one lifetime of mine before you promise me all of yours?”

“We’ll give that a shot,” he said softly. He appeared to be forcing himself to remain still under her touch. Laying his hand back where he’d had it before he spread his fingers out slightly. “I’d stay awake and talk to you more but I’m fighting myself here. So you will have to forgive me but I’m going to sleep,” he murmured a moment before his head slid from his hand to hit his arm and he was out.

She shook her head and adjusted herself on the bed. Moving to wrap her arms around his middle, she affixed her leg between his and laid her head on his chest. “Good night, husband, please don’t hurt me.” And the whisper-soft words didn’t mean physically. Physically she could handle her own self. Emotionally, however, was a completely different story she was finding as she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her.

Chapter Six

Waking, who knew how much later, Titan lay still at the warm weight he felt pressed against his body. Sometime during his rest he had wrapped his arms around her and shifted to entwine his legs with hers. Shifting slightly he looked down at her face and, with a gentle hand, pushed her hair back. She was a beauty, in more than just her face. Her spirit was strong and pure but fragile at the same time. He ran a soft finger down her cheek, tracing the fine bone structure, his eyes following until there was the faintest of flutters at her cheek. Stilling again he waited as she let out a breath and then her eyes fluttered again.

“Do you need anything, Titan?” she whispered before she finally opened her eyes. “Do you need me to move?” She pulled back slightly to look up at him and couldn’t resist touching him. “Did you get enough sleep or do you want to close your eyes and have more?”

“No, no, and likely,” he murmured, his voice rough from sleep. “I was more curious though,” he said, stroking her cheek again lightly. “It’s rather trusting of you to sleep with someone you know is a Vampire.” Titan was a little confused about it as well. He had no idea why she’d be so willing to lie in the same room let alone plastered to him when he could have woken at any moment with not-so-pure intentions in mind.

“First of all the ‘Vampire’ in question is my husband,” she began as she moved one hand up and cupped the side of his neck. “Secondly, the Vampire in question is also a man, one that I feel strongly about.” Licking her lips she looked him in the eyes. “Third, the Vampire in question isn’t the one that kills me or hurts me. He will never hurt me, and being a Seer I know this for truth.”

Sliding his hand to curl around her neck he used his thumb to tip her chin up higher. Shifting slightly he moved his hand down to the curve of her bottom and pulled her up higher so they were nose to nose. Once he had her where he wanted her he stroked his thumb over her pulse for a few moments just staring into her eyes. Finally though, he knew he had to pull away. “I need to go feed, Violet, and then sleep some more.” His body was all out of sorts with the hard schedule he’d been pushing up to that point. “Stay here if you want or, if you don’t need more rest you might consider doing some more reading,” he said quietly, letting his arms loosen in preparation to get up from the bed.

“Or you could just stay here with me, wrapped up in me and feed?” she asked in a cautious tone. “It’s selfish on my part mostly because I am very comfortable now and if you move I don’t think I will be able to get so cozy again. Don’t leave me, Titan? Take what you need from me, please?” This time it was the woman asking for him to take what he needed, what they both needed.

His arms tightened before his brain even registered the thought and he looked at her for a long moment before he nodded slowly. He could see her resolve, her need, and a hint of fear in her eyes. Shifting he rolled them just a little so she was under him more than not. Brushing her hair back from her neck he stroked a finger down her thundering pulse. “Are you sure, Violet?” he asked because he couldn’t do this if she wasn’t. He couldn’t hurt her. He’d known that from the moment he’d heard her first speak.

She nodded and looked into his eyes. “I am very sure, Titan, please.” She felt the burn of all his naked flesh pressing to her body, her frustratingly clothed body. “I need you, Titan. I’m your wife and should be able to give to you what you need and you are my husband and should give me what I need.” She smiled. “So it’s a good thing that our needs match right now.”

He stayed still for another moment before he lowered his head to stroke his tongue over her skin, his eyes shuttering at her taste. Breathing her in for a slow minute he scraped the front of his long canines over her skin gently. He felt her tense and knew that just wouldn’t work so he slid a hand down her side and then up under her shirt. Stroking her skin he felt the shudder race through her a moment before she relaxed and, in that moment, he slid his teeth into her neck.

Violet’s body clenched with the insertion of his teeth into her skin. She bit her lip and whimpered even as she lifted a leg and moved it to wrap around his butt. “Titan.” She moaned and felt his hand massaging her breast and tweaking her sensitive nipple. “Please.” Her hands moved around his waist and felt the expanse of skin there and shuddered when her hand moved between them and clenched around his rock-hard shaft. She began to pump him as he fed from her, her fingers moving up and down the long thickness of him even as she imagined him inside of her. She came hard, hot, and fast with those thoughts, desires, and once again cried out his name.

Growling against her skin as he drank Titan couldn’t seem to control himself as he thrust into her hand. One hand was massaging her breast before he shifted enough to undo the top she wore and pushed it aside. Moaning when he put his hand on her bare flesh Titan came in her hand as he lifted his head. Shuddering in her palm he stared at her for long minutes. A slow line of blood trickled down her neck toward her chest. He blinked then lowered his head to slide his tongue from her chest and up to her throat. He stroked over her throat a few times before pulling back once more.

The second his seed began to spill on her hands she, too, came. Her body clenched hotly and she felt her panties drench with her orgasm. It took her several long minutes but she finally looked up at him and smiled. “That was…” It was so many things that she couldn’t just choose one. “I need you, husband.” She did, too. She wanted to feel the release he gave her, the release she gave him, when they were both connected.

He wasn’t about to argue. He wanted their marriage consummated in the worst way. Shifting he got to his knees and lifted her to a sitting position to push her top off her arms. Laying her back down he slid his hands slowly down her torso to the top of her pants and undid them slowly before drawing them down her legs. Running his hands up her flesh he slipped a hand between her legs to cup her mound through her damp underwear, his fingers rubbing at her lightly before he slid one underneath to stroke her pussy.

Her body responded to his touches, caresses, and she began to move her hands over his body as well. Looking into his eyes she gave him a sad smile. “I don’t come to you innocent like you deserve. Hell I am very far from innocent. Titan, are you sure that this is what you want?” Hooking his finger around her underwear he tore it quickly, tossing the shreds of silk aside before he touched her again, lying down at the same time. “I do not come to you as an innocent either, Violet. Would you turn me aside for that?” he asked. His culture did not view a woman’s virginity the same as most cultures did. It was prized when it was given, but experience also had its pluses.

“Hell no.” She groaned and let her fingers again encircle his cock. “The practice you had was just something to lead you up to me. No more talking,” she demanded as she squeezed him again and began to move her fingers up and down his hard length. “There is a thing called fellatio. I want to do that, Titan, I want to take you into my mouth and lick you, suckle you, and taste you.” She shivered fully. “I don’t know which I want first, you inside of me or me licking you.”

Smiling faintly at her words he pushed two fingers deep into her cunt. “Your choice, Violet,” he said quietly. Leaning in closer he bit her ear gently, his tongue stroking over the flesh before he suckled. “Choose, wife, but choose quickly,” he warned, “or I’ll choose for you.”

“You first,” she said the moment his fingers began to stroke deep inside of her cunt. “I need you to take me, Titan. I want us to come together as one,” she whispered as she let his cock go and rubbed her leg against the hard length. She stroked him with one hand even as her other moved to cover the hand that was slowly moving in and out of her pussy.

“Good choice,” he murmured as he slid a third finger into her cunt and stretched her more. “I want to feel you wrapped around me, your heat warming me, your silky pussy welcoming me.” He breathed as he found that special point inside of her vagina and stroked it.

Her hand that held him to her leg stroked him harder, faster. The hand over her mound slid down slightly so that she could run her fingers over her clitoris in time with his strokes and she felt her eyes drifting closed in passion. “Titan, please,” she whimpered and rubbed faster, her orgasm building harder, hotter, and faster.

“Scream for me, Violet.” He breathed out against her skin as he moved his hand faster, pushing his fingers into her cunt deeper. “Let me know if you like my touch, if you want more, if you want me,” he told her softly. He scraped his teeth gently down her skin, no canines though, just the blunt edges of regular teeth.

She wanted him more than she wanted the next dredge of breath. It wasn’t long before she did just as he had demanded and screamed for him, his name falling from her lips as she climaxed so hard that she nearly bucked him from her and squeezed him tightly, only part of her brain recalling not to hurt him.

Grinding his teeth together he fought not to spill again in her hand. Sliding his fingers free he pulled her hand from his cock and moved over her. As she relaxed he slid into her body, his lips on hers catching that first sound as they came together as men and women should.

Her body welcomed him easily. She held him close with arms around his shoulders and legs around his hips, using his body to lift herself slightly as he slid his cock into her body. Her fingers and hands roamed all over his body as he thrust into her. “More,” came the gasped plea. “Harder.” Even as she spoke that word her hand moved to cover her pussy, her fingers on each side of his cock as he slammed in and out of her roughly. “Yes, so good,” she said, letting out a small sob.

Sliding the flats of his long canines over her skin he lapped at her flesh slowly, the movements gentle compared to what was happening elsewhere. Capturing her breast in a hand he squeezed slightly as he set his mouth to it, pulling her nipple into his mouth between the long teeth and then flicking at the tight bud with the flats. Nibbling carefully at her soft skin he lifted her hips to give him better access as he moved even harder, needing her even more than he could have thought possible.

“Titan.” She gasped as he lifted her hips to take her harder, faster. Her hands clenched on his shoulders while he teased and licked her breasts, she even gave a soft screamed as she spasmed suddenly, unexpectedly.

His movements were harder now, harsher, his hips bucking in to meet her body with little to no control. A soft rumble of sound came from his chest as he felt her beginning to fall apart. Nibbling at her skin he shifted to the other breast to tease the flesh there, his tongue sliding over the strong pulse under the soft flesh.

“Bite me,” she whispered softly, begging him. “Feed from me, Titan, please.” She begged him without pausing as she moved on him again and again, her body in complete union with his. “Come with me,” was the final demand that she placed on him.

Licking at the soft flesh he met her eyes and, ever so slowly, he pressed his teeth into the vein in her breast holding her to him tightly as she arched into him. Growling he fed slowly, only taking a little from her as he came, his body surging into hers and spilling deep.

She tightened on him again as she felt him spilling deep inside of her body and gasped in shock as she came a second time. Only it wasn’t so much him coming deep inside of her so much as it actually was feeling him biting her. She cried out and cradled him close to her, holding his head close to her heart as he so lightly fed from her. She had been taught that the Vampires brutalized their donors when they fed but what she felt when he so carefully drank from her was pleasure, but even more than that she felt cherished.

Shuddering slightly Titan eased his teeth from her soft flesh and, much like a cat, lapped at her flesh. Rolling slowly, his arms holding her close, he settled to his back with her draped over top of him. Pushing her hair back he shifted just enough that she could see him. “Violet.” He murmured her name almost sleepily. “Are you all right?” he asked in a concerned tone.

She was obviously sleepy, but beginning to cool, a shiver working over her skin, as she shook her head in answer. “No, I’m cold, Titan,” she grumbled not moving from where she was draped. “Not moving though. Cover us up and just stay with me?” She pulled back to look down into his face. “Stay inside of my body? For just a little while longer?”

Reaching down he caught at the covers that they’d pushed close to falling onto the floor during their lovemaking. “As long as you wish, my Lady,” he said softly as he wrapped the heavy blankets over her body and then put his arms around her. “Sleep, my Lady,” he murmured against her hair. “Soon enough you will need to be awake and alert so you should gain whatever respite and comfort you can from this moment and hold to it.”

“Violet. Vi-O-Let,” she muttered and yawned again. “That’s my name, Titan, Violet. We are married, we are lovers. I think you should be able to call me by my name, especially when we are all wrapped up in each other’s arms.” She never opened her eyes, never moved, just lay there on him with a goofy smile on her face.

“As you wish, my Lady,” he murmured softly, a small tease. He had a sense of humor, nice to know, but as with most Vampires, he never really showed it. Stroking her hair lightly he closed his eyes and let out a soft and very satisfied sigh. “Sleep, Violet, we will talk more later,” he whispered moments before he slid into a light sleep, his body still needing more rest.

When she felt him fall asleep she so very quietly whispered, “I could love you, Titan. Show me the way.” It was honest and sincere, and filled with fear. Quieting once more, however, she nestled close to him and was soon sound asleep, far deeper asleep than he was.

Chapter Seven

Stretching slowly, very aware of the warm female form wrapped around him Titan opened his eyes. All he saw was a mess of hair and smiled ever so slightly as he brushed back her hair careful not to pull it. She was beautiful and too perfect. He let out a breath. He’d tricked her to get her where he wanted her, needed her from that moment in the shuttle bay when she’d given as good as she got and then capitulated and kneeled.

“Do you need me?” She was more than half-asleep and her sleep-filled tone indicated it. “Am I too heavy?” she asked even as she tried to move from his chest. “Titan, what’s wrong?” She had moved enough to see his face and touched her fingers to his left cheek. “Are you all right?”

“You’re not too heavy, my Lady,” he murmured softly, “never that. I will be all right.” In time, the guilt would slowly sink into the bowels of his gut and eat at him silently. “Just an internal debate that is not going well for me obviously,” he said with a hint of a smile.

“Can I join in and view that debate?” she asked as she stacked her hands under her chin and watched him. “You do know that you can tell me anything, at anytime, right, Titan?” Fingers idly stroked over his chest before she averted her gaze with a wrinkle of her nose, her eyes darting back and forth for a time.

Lifting a hand he stroked a finger down her cheek lightly. “I will work on that, Violet,” he said softly. “But you will need to give me time to adjust. I am not used to having someone to confide in.” His life had been more of the keep-a-secret-and-stay-alive kind. “How are you feeling, wife?” he asked, gently stroking his finger over her soft skin once more before letting his hand fall.

“Happy.” She gave him, “I am content with our life, Titan. I am happy to be able to sleep in the same bed with my husband and even though we were only just married, I know that we were meant to be together.”

Lifting a brow at her proclamation he tipped his head slightly. “That is a good thing, wife,” he said softly. “Have you thought of what you will say to the Alliance upon our return in just over a day?” he asked. He hated having to bring up the circumstances under which they had been brought together, but he could not forget it until his leaders gave their official approval for the marriage. They could, depending on her, take her away and he’d never see her ever again.

She went cold with the reality of life for them. Shaking her head she spoke. “I have no idea what I will say to them.” She had a really, really bad feeling that no matter what she said and no matter that he married her it wouldn’t make a difference. She had a feeling that her lot in life was sealed, but she would face whatever hand was dealt to her with the dignity being a Vampire Warlord’s wife deserved. “Promise me if they take me from you that you will go on? That you will find someone to replace me as your wife?”

“Do not jump to conclusions of what may or may not be, Violet. You cannot any more than I read the minds of the Alliance. Just answer their questions and, when they ask your thoughts on the marriage and the way it was done, be honest,” he advised even as his gut clenched. “I will be there with you but I likely will not have a say as I’ve already told them my opinion and it is on public record.”

She nodded and sighed. “No, but I can see the future,” she whispered quietly even as she laid her head back on his chest. No longer sleepy she just lay there, holding onto him and creating memories. “Go back to sleep, Titan. It has been a very long and trying day for you.”

“The future is not set in stone, Violet. It is what we make of it,” he murmured softly. “We will have our life together. We will talk before we meet with them. By then I will have a feel of what their mood might be.”

“I hope so because I want this life. In the meantime I should think of what I am going to say to the men of the council.” She shrugged and bowed her head. “Good night,” she muttered and kissed his chest again. “I need more sleep I think, Titan, good night.”

“Good night, my wife,” he said softly, stroking her hair gently as he held her to him. As she rested he stared blankly up at the ceiling, his mind in total turmoil as he fought to keep his thoughts on track. He needed to find a way to ensure her safety and to ensure that the Alliance could find no reason to annul their marriage and he only had thirty hours to do it.

Chapter Eight

Time waited for no one. It marched on silent bootheels or in a deafening pace. As she watched his home world come into view it was the roar of the deafening pace that had caught up with her. She still didn’t know how to convince his Alliance council to allow her to remain with her husband. There was nothing she could say to them, nothing she could give them. She had the coordinates to the training planet but she was certain that was stripped and moved by now. She had nothing save for her word. “I’m scared, Titan,” she whispered when she felt his hands move around her waist in the privacy of their chambers.

Wrapping his arms around her he drew her back against him and kissed her neck gently. “Do not fear, wife. I will not let them do you harm,” he said quietly. “Just be who you are, Violet. Let them see you for the woman you are and they will not tear us apart.” If they did there would be hell to pay.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” she told him as she turned in his arms and pressed her face to his chest. “I know it’s only been a few days but I can’t lose you.” It was the closest she had came to telling him how she felt, to telling him that her fear wasn’t of the Regency, but of losing him. While the Regency, the ruling party over his people and their galaxy, were all powerful, some things could be gotten around with the right connections. She stood there in his arms and her stomach didn’t quiet. “I’m going to be ill,” she said again and pushed from him, racing for the bathroom where she lost the contents of her lunch.

Following her he stroked back her hair as he crouched at her side. “There’s no reason to get this upset, Violet,” he told her softly with a frown. “How long have you had this upset in your gut, wife?” he asked her quietly, shifting her a little closer to him as he combed his fingers through the silky strands of her hair.

She washed her face with a damp cloth and leaned into him. “About twenty-four hours. Not long I know.” She likely just had a small bug. After all she hadn’t been out of a building in two plus years. “I think that I’ve caught a cold, Titan. You might want to stay clear of me for now so that you don’t get what I have.”

“Vampires do not get the same diseases nons do, Violet.” Unless you counted the massive plague his world had suffered, but with talks of it having been engineered to kill his people while not affecting the non-Vampires, which had not gone well, he kept that silent. “We will stop by medical before we go to the planet, wife, and ensure that you are well enough for the shuttle down. If not we will send our apologies and arrange with the Alliance for a different time to meet them.”

“No, that will give them something to use against us.” She sighed and pulled back. “I am fine, Titan. I’m tired and hungry but just simply don’t feel well. Food doesn’t appeal.” But as she sat there with her face pressed to his chest she felt the hunger again and simply didn’t understand it. “I need a shower and then I should be right as rain.” She chalked her illness down to nerves and a stomach bug. “I’m also just nervous, Titan. It will be fine though.” After all, she was only walking into the line of her death.

“I do not care if ‘you will be fine.’ You are not well now, Violet,” he said quietly, stroking her hair. “You are going to medical, you will have a work-up, and then we will decide. I am a Lord of my world, if I say jump half of the Alliance will quite easily. The others, if they are young enough might, but the older ones would likely just kill me for pleasure. We will take care of you first, Violet, for I intend for you to have a very long and happy life with me. Quit trying to kill yourself off please.”

She smiled up at him and nodded. “All right.” Leaning against him she sighed. “I don’t think I will make it there though.” She felt weak, dizzy, and like she was ready to pass out. She didn’t like the way she was feeling, at all. “If I pass out, make sure I don’t hit my head?” She wished she was only joking, and she was, partially.

The next wave of dizziness hit and her mouth went dry. Her stomach clenched as she pressed her face against his bare skin. She felt her stomach growl and ache. “I think that medical sounds good now.” She didn’t understand what was happening at all and frankly she was scared.

Gently he lifted her into his arms, carefully cradling her close to him and making sure not to move too quickly to ensure she did not get ill all over him. Walking slowly he carried her out into the hall and to a lift shaking his head at the guard there. Reaching the medical floor he walked with careful placement of his boots so there was little to no shock up through her body and into the medical bay. “We’re here, wife,” he warned a moment before he settled her on the edge of one of the beds.

“This is good.” She leaned into him and licked the side of his neck. “So hungry. Don’t leave me, Titan?” she asked even as the doctor moved to her side with a questioning look up at her and then Titan.

His body reacted violently to that slide of her velvety-soft and very wet tongue, his canines sliding down with enough force he was amazed he didn’t hear ringing in his ears. And he also knew what was going on. “I think you should perform an exam of her mid-region doctor,” he said quietly around his long teeth. Until she stopped nuzzling and basically petting him in her sexual need to get closer he wouldn’t be able to retract them. “I will be right next to you the entire time,” he promised her.

She nodded and let him pull away from her. When the doctor came over with a small handheld triangle she frowned. “I think I have a stomach virus. Possible a twenty-four-hour bug or something,” she explained simply. “I’m sick, throwing up actually, dizzy, but hungry, too.” She squeezed Titan’s hand and looked over at him, frowning. “What?” she asked at the look on his face. It was a cross between triumphant joy and fear.

It wasn’t three minutes before the doctor smiled and nodded. “You are correct, my Lord.” He stepped back. “I will allow you the pleasure. I will be just outside should you need me.” Guarding the door, his face all too clearly said.

“What’s wrong?” Violet had a cold wash of fear run over her body as she watched the doctor leave them. “What’s wrong?” she repeated when neither man would speak and the doctor slid out the doors. “Titan, what’s wrong with me that he doesn’t want to tell me himself?”

“Nothing is wrong with you, wife.” Well not technically. Shifting he stood between her legs where she sat and gently touched her face. “You are pregnant with my child,” he told her softly. “The hunger you feel is the craving for blood because of the baby, Violet, who will need quite a large amount to grow healthy and strong.”

She touched a hand to her belly and shook her head. “How can I be pregnant, Titan?” They had only been together a handful of days, well sexually that was. “I don’t understand, Titan.” And as she spoke a warmth spread in her and a slow smile tugged at her lips. “We will have a child? You and I? We made a baby?” She didn’t know how she would get blood because she wasn’t a vampire, but she would worry over that later. For now she had to get over the confusing feelings and emotions slamming through her.

“Yes, Violet, you are pregnant,” he said softly. “We are going to have a child, you and I,” he told her, stroking her cheek lightly. “It only happens when the female is in season,” he said, “as you obviously are. But, my wife, there is something else that is escaping your attention. This means that the Alliance cannot deny or annul the marriage and they must put their seals to it. They cannot separate us now since you have fulfilled the deal as it was written and that they agreed to.”

Her eyes went wide as she looked up and felt the tears soaking her cheeks again. She was not a sobbing female, hell she was a trained damn killer, but she couldn’t stop from crying as she realized she was going to have a child, his child. “We’re going to have a baby,” she whispered before wrapping her arms around him and tugging him close.

Again her stomach clenched as she rubbed her cheek and then face against his neck. “God I’m hungry,” she grumbled but food made her feel sick to her stomach.

Stroking her back lightly he nuzzled her throat. “You are feeling the need for blood. It happens almost as soon as the child begins. You will need a lot of it in the coming four months, Violet, more toward the end than at the beginning, but what you need now will still be very impressive.”

“But I’m not a vampire,” she grumbled but licked his neck lightly anyway. “How am I supposed to get blood when I’m not a Vamp? Do I hook up to an IV?” She leaned her head to the side and bit her lip. “Bite me again, Titan?” she whispered softly.

Pulling back he looked at her. “You won’t be able to take bagged blood. You’ll need blood straight from me.” Stroking back her hair gently he tucked a few strands behind her ear. “We will need the doctor to do a transfusion and then you will need to make another choice. Do you remain human or will you become as I am,” he said softly.

She looked blankly at him and shook her head. “I can’t become like you.” Her hands automatically moved over her belly as if to protect her child. “I can’t hurt our child like that, Titan.” Their child suddenly was the most important thing in the world to her, nothing else mattered.

“It won’t hurt the child, our child,” he said to her as he stared into her eyes. “I would never have mentioned it if there was even the most remote of possibilities that it would harm what we created, Violet. I may be an animal but I am not heartless. You mentioned the Lord Andries and her ladyship Xandra. She was pregnant before she was turned to as we are. The Lord had to because she was shot, but the child was fine as was she. But if you would rather remain human I will not argue it with you. Transfusions work just as well.”

She had to know one thing. “How do you feel about me, Titan? Not the normal duty and all that, but how do you as a man feel for me as a woman?” She needed the words. She needed the confirmation of his love, their love. “I need this, Titan. Tell me how you feel?”

He knew what she wanted and he didn’t know if he could give her that much. He’d bent and broken a lot of his training already but that might be too much. “I care for you, Violet,” he said, keeping the wince of pain from showing on his face as his entire being protested those words. “You are important to me,” he told her, trying for words that would explain without any more pain. “I know that if I woke tomorrow and you were not there I would have no reason to continue.” With that admission he couldn’t fully hide the pain the words caused.

“Then why does it hurt you to tell me? Why can’t you give me the words?” She whispered softly as she cupped his cheeks, “I love you, Titan, I love you.”

Breathing in sharply at her proclamation he knew he had to break every bit of training. “I love you, too, Violet,” he whispered and flinched at the absolute agony hitting him in his gut. Pulling her close he kissed her hard drowning in her scent so that his body would ignore the break and just soak up her innate goodness.

She kissed him back with all she had in her. Pouring everything into that kiss she waited until they were parted. “No tubes, no doctor. What happens between us is private and personal. I need you, Titan. I need forever with you.” She needed him to change her. “Make me like you are?”

Nodding he stroked her cheek gently. “Not here, in our home,” he said. “We need to meet the Alliance first. This will put you out for about three days and they will not wait that long for anything. There is a shuttle going down in a few minutes. We should be on it and get there as quickly as we can, get it down and then we can have our private and personal moments.”

“And you’re certain they won’t try to pull us apart?” She whispered her fear. “I can’t lose you, Titan. I can’t lose us.” She placed his hand over her belly and covered it with hers. “We need you in our life. She or he will need a father and I need someone who will always know that I am his love, the one created for him.”

“They would not dare.” He breathed out softly as he spread his fingers over her belly. “We will be together and see our child brought into this world, watch her or him grow and become the person they are meant to be,” he promised. “No one is ever going to tear us apart,” he told her with steel in his voice.

She nodded as she looked up and into his eyes. “Then we need to go and meet with them, give them the best reason for them not to kill me, and go home, Titan. I want to go home so that you can bring me over to be like you are so that I can spend the rest of my life telling you I love you.”

“I wholeheartedly approve of your plan,” he murmured softly to her. Stroking her cheek lightly he kissed her. “Come on,” he encouraged softly, taking her hands and helping her down from the table. “How is the hunger?” he asked softly as he watched her wanting to get an idea of where she was in the need.

“Bad, but controllable,” she said with a smile. “I won’t attack you quite yet, love.” She straightened her back before they made the door and nodded. “All right, I’m ready.” There was a coolness about her now. Her very demeanor matched that of a Vampire. The only thing she did that a vampire wouldn’t was hold on to Titan’s hand tightly.

Lacing his fingers through hers Titan gave her hand a squeeze as he led her from the medical bay and nodded to the doctor as they passed. Relaying to the command deck that he was heading for the shuttle with her, Titan gave a few last orders for the day before they would clear the ship for the decompression and then the refitting. Standing with her in the lift he watched her knuckles, not her face, since they were all that was showing her upset. Lifting her hand to his lips he kissed her fingers lightly. “Be calm, wife, we will be just fine.” He breathed against her skin.

She breathed in and then out before turning to him and nodding. “I know we will, Titan. I’m just thinking of how lucky it is that I got pregnant.” She smiled as she looked up at him, the smile in her eyes and on her lips. “I’m very happy, Titan, very happy that we are going to have a baby. Not just because it likely saved my life, but because it brings us closer.”

“I am glad for anything that saves your life, Violet. I did not intend to let you go but this does help ease the way,” he said, shifting as a couple of the crew entered the lift, moving closer to her in a protective manner. Looking down into her eyes he smiled slightly. “Closer is always a good thing as well,” he murmured softly.

She smiled and ducked behind him, her hands moving to wrap around his waist and her forehead pressing to his back. With the people in the lift it was the closest she could come to hugging him. Leaning up and on her tiptoes she waited until the lift was once more cleared when she said, “I love you, Titan.”

Looking to her over his shoulder he smiled ever so slightly. “And I you, Violet,” he murmured softly. Lifting a hand he pressed it to where both of hers lay on his stomach and lightly stroked her fingers. When the lift stopped again he pulled away but captured one of her hands to hold in his as he led her toward the large doors at the end of the corridor.

As they walked toward the transport it was only the energy, the love that he shared with her through their linked hands that kept her going. Her pride kept her head tall and back straight. The knowledge of their child chased away the shadowy fears that were determined to bring her down, determined to assault her and lay her bare to the world.

“How long until we are planet side, my Lord?” she asked as they stepped onto the transport. They were surrounded by his soldiers, all heavily armed which made her brow rise as she looked up at him. “Are we expecting trouble, my Lord?”

Lifting a brow he shrugged. “One learns to expect the unexpected, my Lady,” he said, leading her to a seat. Once she was buckled in he gave a nod to the pilot and took hold of an overhead rail that the others were also holding onto for the ride. “I want them to understand my position and remember who they are talking to,” he told her before waving a hand to his men. “This is my way.”

She looked at each man who was looking at her in return. “I would feel comfortable with a weapon as well.” She knew that she would be told no, and while they were all Warriors, she understood but what they didn’t know, none save for Titan, was that she, too, was a warrior and she didn’t need a weapon because she was one. “I like your way, Titan. It never hurts to remind people of just what you are capable of.”

Turning to one of the soldiers Titan held out a hand and took the sidearm he was handed. Checking the weapon he passed it over to her and smiled faintly when she just stared at him in shock. “You have the right to protect yourself, my Lady, and I fully believe you know how. But you shoot any of my men and we’ll be having severe words,” he said with a small frown of warning.

She smiled sweetly and with just enough volume in her voice to carry to his men said, “Why would I shoot them when I can shoot you instead?” Even though she said the words, the laughter dancing at the curve of her lips said another thing. Leaning in, however, she handed him the weapon back and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Titan. I thank you for the gesture but we both know they won’t allow me to have a weapon. Besides, truth be told I am a weapon, and so, too, are you, my Lord husband.”

“Not amusing, wife,” he muttered with a glare pointed her way as he slid the weapon into the waist of his uniform pants at the small of his back before letting his jacket settle over it. Pulling her closer to him he pressed his lips to her ear. “Later, when we are alone.” He breathed the words soft enough no other but her could hear. “I will show you just what I can do with my weapon.”

“I certainly hope that you will, Titan.” Their teasing, their moments were enough to keep her distracted. However, when there was the physical thump of their landing she felt icy cold washing down her back and pulled back. “I love you, husband.” She gave him the words, there before his men. She gave him something she never thought she could give publicly. She gave her love.

“Are you sure you don’t want a weapon, wife?” Titan asked with a trace of amusement in his eyes even though his face was that of a Vampire Lord, still, watchful and settled in icy perfection. “I won’t let them scare you, my Lady. Anyone annoys you, let me know and we will shoot them,” he said gently, not joking now. Pressing his lips to her ear he murmured, “Breathe, nice and slow and easy.” With that he kissed the thundering pulse at her throat and straightened, turning to the open door in full military alert.

She calmed her breathing, not a small feat, and walked at his side. Her very demeanor would have made any Vampire Warlord proud. Her back rigidly straight, head held high, and eyes taking in everything and everyone. She looked like a Queen, and the people around her the lowly subjects. She took in everything and if one didn’t know better you would swear that she owned all that she saw, heard, and smelled. “I am ready to meet with the Regency Council, my Lord husband. We will be done with this so that we may retire to our home.” Her voice was cool, efficient, and held the air of one bored with the proceedings.

“No mere Regency Council,” he reminded her softly, his words a low murmur as they strode through the halls of the Alliance Chambers as though they owned them. “This is the Alliance, the final say of everything within our space,” he pointed out quietly. Placing a hand at the small of her back Titan felt the small tremor there as he guided her toward the towering doors of the main Chambers. Over thirty feet in height and each ten wide, the doors depicted the height of the Vampire’s cruelty, a reminder of the past as blood wound through the streets and the non-Vampire people had cowered from their beasts.

Chapter Nine

The doors opened smoothly as though they did not weigh in at several hundred kilos each, the wonders of true ingenuity. Pressing his hand to her spine he encouraged her forward to face the fifteen, seven non-Vampire’s and seven Vampires with a High Lord in the spot of mediating. Bowing low to the group Titan straightened. “My Lords, may I present to you my Lady wife and mother to my child, Violet Macy.”

Violet saw the shock in their eyes but bowed her head respectfully. “Thank you for allowing me to come before you,” she said softly, well she hoped softly.

“So it is true?” one of the non-vampires asked. “You are pregnant with the High Lord’s child?”

Vi laid a hand over her still-flat belly and nodded. “Yes, this is true.”

“Yet before you escaped the world you were on, you didn’t know the Lord?”

“No, that is correct.”

Violet knew from Titan the man was going to see what he could get from them. She also knew that his questions would likely cause commotion, and that was the reason for them. They were going to be looking at her, watching her and waiting for her to rise to their bait. How far they would go, she and Titan didn’t know. “So the training you received as a consort worked in your favor?”

Violet saw red but didn’t rise to the bait. “That is a question you will need to address to my husband.”

Titan was proud of her. Their questioning was purposefully designed to push her to the edge and make her trip herself up. Looking to the Lords before him he lifted a brow. “I know nothing of her training, but if it was a favor I am grateful it was I that received it.” He said no more and waited to see what else they might throw at her, knowing that this could all be very ugly very fast if they chose.

“And you are a killer,” the man continued without pause to her. “You are a killer, designed to kill our Warlords. We wed you to Lord Titan because we felt that if any could break or kill you for the treason, it would be him.”

“And yet here I am, pregnant with his child,” she said with a proud tilt to her chin. She was about to say something else when she screamed with pain and dropped to her knees suddenly. “Blood.” She whispered, “This hall will run with blood.” There was blood dripping from her nose from the internal assault she was facing where Titan could not reach her. “There is a faction.” She gasped and clenched at his hands on her shoulders. “Inside the Regency. Plague, death, blood. The cure needs to be protected,” was what she said before she passed out.

Catching her as she went down Titan cursed darkly as he cradled her to him and looked to his men. They encircled them both quickly keeping the Lords of the Alliance at bay as they all stepped forward. Stroking back her hair gently Titan shook his head and lifted her in his arms as he stood. “I am sorry, my Lords, but she needs to be turned before the babe causes more pain.” Or her visions do harm to her or their child. “You will have to leave off with the interrogation until she has awoken.” And with no more he turned with his men as one and the lot of them swept from the rooms to his shuttle once more. For this he’d be taking her to his home in the country, as far from the Alliance as he could get.

Violet moved slightly in his arms and turned into him with a whispered sigh of sadness. “So many will die, Titan. There is dissention inside of the Regency and they will try to topple the Alliance. I’m afraid.”

Cradling her close he looked to his men. “No one speaks of anything she says. This is privileged information and I will slit the throat of any man that lets it out.” One by one they all nodded to him bowing their heads in a pledge to him and her. Looking back to Violet he stroked her cheek. “Do not fear, little flower,” he murmured, making a play on her name. “I will help you ensure that our world survives and that we never have to worry again.”

“Thank you, Titan,” she whispered and rubbed her cheek to his neck. “I’m sorry I dropped like I did. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help it. The pain was too much, too strong. It was as if the darkness was flaying me alive.” She sighed and shook her head. “The cure, to your people’s plague.” She pulled back to look at him. “It’s not what you think,” she whispered but paused and said nothing more.

“It matters not what it is, Violet. We will ensure that no one destroys the only hope we have to remain alive,” he said softly against her cheek before he lightly kissed her skin. “We will not lie down and let anyone take from us the lives we all have, we will fight and we will win.” Looking up at a word from the pilot he nodded. “We are almost to our country home, wife. Will you be all right for a little longer.” He didn’t have enough blood on the property and without it he wouldn’t be able to feed her enough for the change she would need to go through and soon from the pallor of her cheeks.

“I will be fine.” She leaned her head to his shoulder and sighed. “You don’t have to change me right away and you know that, Titan. Why did you tell them that?” She looked up at him and smiled. “Not that I’m complaining because I will gladly let you change me as soon as we can.” Touching his cheek lightly she grinned. “God I love you, Titan.”

“Because you are acting erratic which means the child is already pulling blood from your body,” he told her softly. “You will need blood, lots of blood. Specifically my blood as you cannot have bagged. If we do not begin the change soon, the draw from the babe could hurt you even more. But if you wish to wait we can wait, Violet. It is your choice after all.”

“As soon as we can, Titan. I want to be like you as soon as possible so that our child doesn’t suffer at all.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’m not acting erratically, Titan. This happens when I get a vision. It’s not to be confused with erratic behavior. It simply is what it is.”

“As you say, my Lady,” he said, moving so he could see her face and smiled ever so slightly. “I will trust in you about your gift as I have no knowledge but for what has been passed down through time. You will need to tell me these things as I fully admit that I am clueless.” As the shuttle settled to the ground he lifted her into his arms once more. “Here we are, home at last,” he murmured, happier than he could express.

She let her eyes travel over the grasses of their home and sighed. “I’m glad.” She looked around at the faces of the men and smiled before leaning in and close to Titan’s ear. “Double our guard? I have just a really, really bad feeling that the war won’t wait for us to come to it.”

“Well, unfortunately for the war, it will have to just wait as I plan on being with my Lady wife for the next week and just enjoying her and helping her to adjust to her new life.” Stopping he turned to show her the house he’d built many, many years ago. “Welcome home, Violet,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She looked over the house and felt her heart begin to pound. “It’s…” It was spectacular. There were windows from floor to ceiling in several of the rooms, blooms of all colors exploded in the countryside and made her smile. “I have dreamed of this house since I was a child,” she whispered in awe. “There are fifteen bedrooms in the main home. There are three barracks out back.” She said with a smile, “Or am I wrong?”

Shaking his head at her talent, her gift, he sighed. “You are not wrong, my Lady. You are indeed quite correct about those facts,” he told her as he carried her for the door as one of his men moved ahead to open it for them. Nodding to him as he stepped inside he stopped in the foyer. “I would give you the tour but you appear more prepared for a nap.”

“Sleep does sound good.” She sighed and leaned her head to his shoulder. “Later I want that tour. When I wake as your Vampire wife, I demand a tour.” She nuzzled her lips against his neck and sighed. “I love you, Titan. Thank you for taking care of me.”

Nodding he headed for the stairs as his men began to secure the property. Moments later he had her in their large suite. “Do you want me to change you now, Violet, or would you rather rest first?” he asked her quietly as he let her take her own feet once more so she could undress herself with his assistance.

“Shower first and then change me, Titan.” She was tired yes, but she wanted to change now. From what she understood she would sleep for three days after so she could wait to sleep until after the change. “The sooner that you change me, Titan, the better for us all around.”

“All right,” he said softly, reaching around her to undo the ties holding her dress onto her body, pulling them loose. “You have the choice of water or sonic,” he added, as the material fell to her feet. Scooping her up once more he carried her into the bathing chamber.

“Sonic to help ease the aches and pains of the day.” She smiled softly at him and nodded. “Later, however, later I would like to take a very nice and hot shower or bath with you. For now, however, come and have a sonic shower with me?” Knowing full well they couldn’t go without touching, without making love. “I need you, Titan. I need to forget the images in my mind.” She needed something else to replace the sight of the Alliance Tribunal Hall running red with their blood.

Letting her go after a moment more, he stepped back and undressed quickly before rejoining her. For the sonic shower one didn’t need to get undressed, but for what plans she had this would definitely save time. He picked her up gently carrying her through the large room to the equally impressive bathing chamber and into the stall. After programming the computer he let her feet down to the floor once more and then just held her for a time.

Her arms around his shoulders, she nuzzled against his chest with a sigh. “I hate this feeling of hunger, this need.” And that was just what it was. She felt hungry, needy. “Which is another reason we need to change me as soon as possible so that our child never has to suffer from not having what he needs.”

“I know,” he said quietly, rubbing his chin to her hair. “When we are done here I will start your change and from there it will be with you, Violet. I won’t lie, it won’t be comfortable at least until you can sleep. Once you are in the sleep you won’t know anything until you wake approximately three days from now. You’ll wake hungry and it will likely be pretty harsh. Just remember, I’m on your side,” Titan added in a light tone she had a feeling was forced.

She laughed and shook her head. “Right, I will try to remember that, Titan.” A thought moved through her mind. “Don’t let me hurt you, Titan. I really was trained to kill. I know that I haven’t acted like it but I am very, very deadly. Don’t let me hurt you.”

“I won’t, wife. I promise,” he said softly against her hair before dropping a kiss to her hair. Leaning back slightly he moved a hand to cup her cheek. “I love you, Violet, we will get through this together and, when we come out the other side, we will be all the stronger for it.”

“I love you, too, Titan.” She leaned into his cheek and sighed. “We will come out of this beautifully. We will come out the other side and we will be all the stronger for it.” She repeated his words back to him. “This feels good.” To be in his arms, to feel the heat of the sonic waves relaxing her muscles. “I think that your Alliance Council will soon be knocking down our front door demanding answers.”

“They will find it a challenge to get onto my property and well they know it,” he told her quietly. “No one comes here unless they are invited or call first,” he added, stroking her hair back and kissing her nose lightly. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, very much so.” She smiled up at him and nodded. “I feel very…” She ran her hand down his back and cupped the perfectly muscular ass. “I feel very, very good but you feel even better than good.”

He jumped slightly at her bold touch and eyed her. “When you wake, you need to tell me everything you learned while on that planet, Violet. Not for any reason except for my damned peace of mind,” he muttered as he mirrored her and cupped her ass pulling her against him and rubbing slightly to tease them both.

“I will show you everything I learned if you want me to,” she said with a smile. “For now though I really would like for you to make love to me. I need you, Titan, before we do the change, take me one last time before I spend forever at your side as a Vampire?”

“Not the last time,” he told her with a faint smile. “I fully intend to make love to you for all the years to come, Violet, as often as you will allow me to,” he teased softly. Lifting her up he kissed her. “Wrap your legs around me, wife.” Titan breathed out as the head of his cock lightly rubbed against her pussy.

Her legs closed around him, the muscles in her body all happily complying to her wills. “It is the last time, Titan.” She leaned in and licked the side of his neck before nuzzling him lightly with the flats of her teeth. “The last time with me as a human.”

Shivering at her touch he hugged her to him as he lowered her over him. “Trust me in this, Violet, if you like what we do now, you will be ecstatic when we do this after your change.” He breathed out, fighting his instincts. He would not hurt her. He would love her gently as she deserved and give her something happy to take with her into the sleep of his people.

“Well I’m glad that I will because I already love what we do.” Her face nuzzled against his shoulder again, he noted. The deep-rooted instincts driving her to try to get to what her body needed, what their child’s body needed, but couldn’t yet get for herself. “More, Titan, please,” she begged softly as she moved with him.

Nuzzling at her throat Titan kissed her pulse as it leapt before he slowly dragged his tongue over the thin and soft flesh. Moving within her body he nipped at her. “I will always give you everything I can, Violet,” he murmured softly.

“And you have all of me,” she retorted even as her body clenched on his. “There.” He had adjusted his angle or how deeply he was moving in and out of her body and had hit her in just the right place which was making her clutch frantically at his shoulders, scraping the flesh roughly.

Growling softly he slid his teeth into her throat and drank slowly, carefully, knowing he needed to take quite a bit from her but not too much. Thrusting into her he closed his eyes as her blood slid over his tongue and he fought to keep from savaging her.

Her hands moved to his shoulder and neck, digging in before moving into his hair. “Titan.” She was so close. The bite and then the movements of his body in hers were enough to send her reeling. When he started to pump harder, faster, she was lost. She choked out his name in a broken scream as she came hard enough to make her body clench down on him and hold him tightly inside of herself.

Bucking against her he shuddered as he came, his seed filling her tight body. His arms clutched her to him he slowly pulled his teeth from her throat. His tongue slid over her skin lightly before he pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “Gods I can’t wait until we can do this after.” He breathed.

It took her several minutes before the slow smile and then she asked, “And why’s that, my Lord?” The title was more of a caress with how she said it than anything, “Why can’t you wait? Will there be something inside of me that will flip on to make me more sexually desirable to you?”

There was a loaded question and the male in him lifted his head cautiously to look at her. “I believe I may just not answer that and let you figure it out after the fact. It will likely save me from stuffing my foot into my mouth and getting into things too deep to get back out again.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Well then I can’t wait to find out what makes Vampire sex so much more, Titan.” She touched his cheek lightly. “Maybe then you won’t take me as if you will break me.” She smiled. “You won’t you know, break me that is. You won’t break me. I can promise you that.”

“I just don’t want to harm you, Violet,” he said softly, leaning into her light touch. “You are and always will be more fragile than I am and your health, happiness, and well-being are my concerns to see to. If I do not care for you then I am not the man to be at your side, wife,” he told her honestly. “Only a fool hurts that which has brought him light of the sort he’s never before seen.”

She blushed and smiled. “You are the sweetest man alive, Titan,” she whispered. “I love you, baby.” She hugged him tightly. “You would never hurt me. I know that you would never hurt me.”

He was glad that one of them was so sure of that detail, he thought as he stroked his fingers over her back lightly. Kissing her gently as the shower finished he kept her with him as he walked out and to the bed chamber to lay them both down on the bed, only there pulling from her to lie at her side. Laying a hand over her belly he lightly stroked her skin. “Are you ready?” he asked softly knowing that the next few moments were going to be hard and more than a bit stressful.

Violet nodded and laid her hand over his on her belly. “Yes, for our child I’m ready, Titan. For our life together I’m ready.” She leaned in and nibbled at his lips lightly. “For me I’m ready and for you I’m ready. The three of us, we need this, Titan. Our child because he needs his father’s blood, you because you need to know you won’t hurt me, and me”—she pressed her forehead to his—“because I need the happiness only you and being as you are will bring me.”

Chapter Ten

Kissing her back he nodded. “All right,” he breathed out softly. “I need to take a lot of your blood and then you will need to drink back all that and more to initiate the turn. Because you haven’t had any of my blood yet it will be a little more than normal for the child’s sake. Then you will be ill and feel pain that I can’t prevent.” Gods he wished he could though for her. “After that I will give you some more blood after I feed and then you will slip into the sleep of the Vampire. Three days from now you will wake up as one of my people and need more blood,” he told her, needing her to know what was coming.

She nodded with a look of acceptance. “But our son, he will be safe through all of this? The change won’t hurt him?” She was worried for their child obviously.

Nodding he smiled slightly. “Yes, love, our baby will be just fine. A Vampire in the womb has an extra layer of…” He frowned trying to recall the term. Shaking his head finally he shrugged. “It’s like a suit of armor for the child, but soft and pliable like rubber.” That sounded good. Now she’d never want another child. “I’m saying it all wrong, I know that, but you don’t need to worry. Beyond your womb our son has that extra pocket of protection within even though you are not yet Vampire. It is a natural process of the genes of the Vampire to produce it within the woman for the child’s safety.”

“As long as he will be all right.” She smiled up at him and touched his lips, needing to just continue to touch him. “I trust you. I was just worried for our baby.” Their baby, their perfect miracle. “I think that I’m ready for this, Titan. Well, I’m as ready as I ever will be I suppose would be the best way to say it.”

“I will keep you safe and watch over you the whole time you sleep, Violet. No harm will come to you or our son, I swear this on everything I am,” he whispered softly. Kissing her lightly he tipped her chin up and pressed his lips to her throat kissing her softly over her pulse. Licking at her throat he, ever so gently, pressed his teeth into her throat to take her blood.

The kiss of his teeth into her flesh didn’t make her hurt so much as made her want to weep with need. “I believe you, Titan, always I will believe in you, in us.” Her fingers lightly stroked his chest and shoulder as he fed from her.

She began to feel dizzy and her mouth went dry. “Love you,” she whispered as her eyes closed and the call of the darkness closed in around her.

Lifting his head quickly he cut his wrist and pressed it to her mouth. “Drink, Violet,” he whispered against her ear as he held her gently. “Take all you need for our son and for you to step into my world fully,” he said. Kissing her cheek he nibbled on her skin. “I love you, wife, drink and become strong for us all, for you, for our son, for me, and for our future.”

Her mouth closed over the wound and her body took over. The need from the child and the enzymes from a Vampire pregnancy gave her body all that it needed in order to obtain the needed sustenance for the child. Her gag reflex was gone because of the Vampiric child inside of her, so she drank eagerly, greedily.

Until the pain began.

She bowed into Titan, crying out even as she held onto his wrist and sobbed with the pain as it began to blow through her.

“I know,” he whispered, holding her close to him and lightly rocking her back and forth as he stroked her hair gently. “I know, just focus on me and we’ll get you through this together I swear to you.” He hated that she was in pain, that it was because of him she was in pain.

She nodded and opened her eyes trying to focus on him, on his face but in the next moment shut them again as she doubled over in clearly visible pain. “Titan,” she cried out even as he wrapped her up close and held her tightly.

Taking his wrist from her mouth she watched him lick the wound there to close it before pulling her into his arms and rubbing slowly at her back with one hand as he massaged her neck with the other. “I have you, Violet. I’ve got you safe with me, honey,” he said softly.

And she knew, she knew she would forever be safe with him. “I know.” She clenched her hands on him followed with, “I’m going to be sick.” She was going to throw up, or poop, one of the two or both. “Bathroom, I need the bathroom.” Her body wasn’t responding, so she really hoped his would.

Tossing the blankets aside Titan lifted her into his arms and raced for the bathing room. Inside he waited for her to tell him where she needed to be or what she needed to do.

“Sick, going to be sick.” Finally she started to gag and was soon trying to get rid of everything in her stomach, all of the dinner she had the night before, the water, everything. Her body was trying to turn itself inside out and she felt every single burn, every single pain vividly.

Holding her as she gagged and dry heaved Titan was silent, just kept her hair back from her face and stroked her back. He whispered to her, soothing words of encouragement, and pressed kisses to the back of her neck.

She was crying and shook her head. “Did I ever tell you I really, really hate being sick?” she asked and slumped against him. Her voice was so quiet, so filled with exhaustion. “I hope that the pregnancy doesn’t give me morning sickness or you and I will talk, mister.”

Picking her up he took her into the shower for a few minutes to clean her fully and allow her to rest easier. After, he settled them back in their bed and cut his wrist for her again. “Drink a little more, love and then you will sleep,” he told her softly. “We can talk about anything you wish once you wake, Violet,” he whispered against her cheek.

She took what he offered and appeared ready to sleep even before she finished. Eyes closed she sighed. “Morning sickness and I will brain you,” she grumbled with a smile on her face. “Daddy.”

Smiling at her words he kissed her temple and covered them both up, tucking her in to keep her warm. “I would even let you,” he murmured though he knew she couldn’t hear him now. “Sleep well, mother of our children,” he whispered and smiled a little wider despite the pain the emotion caused.

Chapter Eleven

She woke eighty-seven hours and three minutes later. Her stomach was growling and the roof of her mouth was hurting. “Titan,” she said with a low growl. “I need you.” She could see him. He had his back to her. As he turned to look she saw the bagged blood in his hand and smiled. “Titan?”

“Hello there,” he said as he moved closer to her and settled at her side. Touching her arm he stroked her skin lightly, sliding his hand up to cup her cheek and tip her head back. “You look marvelous,” he told her with a faint smile setting the bag of blood to one side as he leaned in to kiss her. “How do you feel?” he whispered against her lips.

“Marvelous.” She leaned in and brushed her lips over his lightly. “Hungry.” When her fangs slid down she jerked in surprise. “What?” She opened her mouth and touched them. “Damn.” She rasped out, “How do I make them go back in?”

Smiling faintly he shook his head. “Right now you can’t until you feed. As you go you will learn how to retract them and also learn to hold them in or release them as you want. You should feed, love. You and our son both need the sustenance.”

“All right.” She leaned in closer to him and smiled against his chest. “Only from you though, Titan, only from you.” She licked his chest before placing her mouth over him. “I love you,” she whispered only a moment before she buried her fangs deep into his pectoral muscle and drank deeply of him.

Gasping slightly he cupped the back of her head and held her close. Groaning he wrapped her in his arms. “You can only take from me, love. It’s part of having a Vampire child. Only the father’s blood will feed you. You can’t use bagged blood. It will only make you ill and if you take another’s blood, even in an emergency you will become lethargic and woozy,” he told her to keep from focusing on how badly his body was throbbing in need of her.

She rubbed against him and whimpered, a need-filled sound as she fed from him. Her body was wet against his leg, the heat of her desire evident. Then her hand moved to cup him, touch him, and stroke him.

“Violet,” he moaned softly against her hair as he pressed a kiss to her head. “Gods, love, you can’t do that to me right now,” he told her as he fought to keep from thrusting into her hand. His vision was starting to turn fuzzy around the edges and he knew he was losing the battle with his desires.

“Need you,” she said against his skin lightly. She was feeding from him but she had slowed it so that it was barely a drop. “Now, need you.” She groaned and rubbed against him hungrily.

Growling softly at her words he dropped the bag to the bed and, picking her up, he turned her to lie on the bed and drove into her body. “Feed,” he told her as he braced over her giving her access to where she had been feeding or his throat if she preferred as he pounded into her body.

Choosing his chest this time she nuzzled, licked, and then bit. Her body was alive and each time he pumped into her deeply she took a deep drink of him. Finally she closed the wounds and let her head fall back so she could watch him, watch the intensity of him as he moved in and out of her.

Baring her neck to him finally she said, “Feed from me, Titan, mark me, but please I need you.”

Lowering his head he slid his tongue slowly up her throat and nipped at her flesh, teasing her. He felt her body shift and the needy way she tugged at him but he continued with his teasing even as he kept his rhythm nearly brutal as he took her body. Scraping his teeth down her throat he only struck when she shivered and gave the smallest sound of need, burying his teeth deep and drinking sparingly.

She gasped even as her body clenched his, a full-body shudder wracking her as she clutched at him. She screamed as she came hard and fast for him. Nails bit into his skin while she tried to pull him closer. “Come with me, Titan, yes!” she shouted roughly while her pussy squeezed him, trying to push him over, to milk his body.

Snarling deep in his chest he shoved into her and came hard, his body spilling deep into her as he shuddered and jerked, pushing even deeper still. Collapsing over her he carefully pulled his teeth from her throat and licked at the small drops of blood. Panting he rested his head to her shoulder. “I’ll move in a moment,” he whispered softly but he knew he couldn’t right then. His whole body relaxed.

“Don’t leave me, Ti,” she grumbled at him, rubbing her cheek to his chest. “That was amazing. I now see why you made the comment that you did in the shower.”

“Not leaving you, Violet, never leaving you,” he told her softly as he held her close. “I told you that you would like it,” he said with a smile, kissing her jaw lightly. When he had a little burst of energy he rolled over onto his back and cradled her close to him as he covered her with a blanket.

“And you were so right.” She grumbled, “Damn you.” There was a smile in her voice though. “You likely are used to being right, Titan, so don’t rub it in.” She smirked. “You are always welcome to rub other things in me though.” Giving him a purely hot and needy look she shook herself. “Sorry, you’re tired and I’m not helping.”

“Yes, I am, and no, you are not,” he told her with a half smile, the best he’d likely ever be able to give her. “But this was more than worth all the lost hours of sleep,” he admitted honestly. He hadn’t slept once while she’d been going through her change. He just couldn’t stop worrying that if he did she might not still live when he woke.

“I have to agree, Titan. Who cares about a little sleeplessness when you can wake up in the arms of the man you love?” She grinned and added, “And that would be you, Titan. You are the man I love and the man whose arms I need to wake in for the rest of my life.”

“Well, as I was not planning on ever going anywhere without you except for the occasional mission”—like he’d leave her behind—“I think that could be achieved.” All of that was said with a straight face and he was teasing her but he wanted to see if she’d figure it out…or beat him silly.

It took her several minutes of watching him before she narrowed her eyes. “You won’t leave me behind.” She grinned. “No matter what, you won’t ever leave me behind.” She buffeted his shoulder lightly and shook her head. “Silly man.”

Kissing her softly he smiled faintly. “No, love, I won’t ever leave you behind, Violet,” he promised softly. “You’d likely get into far too much trouble if I dared to. No.” He shook his head, his lips twitching with amusement. “I will keep you close and under my watchful eye to ensure you do not get into trouble.”

Now if that wasn’t the truth of everything she didn’t know what would be. “Yes, I do believe that you are right. Without you around to curtail my endeavors I think that I would likely run into all kinds of trouble.” She moved closer to him and smiled up at him.

Chapter Twelve

What happened next she wouldn’t recall. It was so sudden and so intense that it had her dropping like a loadstone as she spoke. “She’s giving birth.” She whispered, “There are two babies, boy and girl.” She whispered, “Rare, no Vampire ever had them before and the doctor”—she clenched her hand on him—“he’s taking them. He’s arranging for The Dark Colonel to be parted from his wife and will take all three. The Alliance High Council wants them, study.” She felt her head feeling like it would explode. “The Dark High Lord Colonel, his wife.” She nodded and felt the lights go out as she passed out. It was all disjointed, almost as if she were reliving past, present, and future at once, not something she did ever.

Catching her as her eyes rolled back Titan cursed darkly and cradled her close to him. He hated what her visions did to her, what they demanded of her, but they were a part of her and one he’d have to accept. He didn’t like that hard fact and it made him feel helpless, not a sensation a Vampire Lord or any man could like. As he held her, her heartbeat the only thing reassuring him that she was just asleep, he let her words replay in his mind. He knew that the Lord Colonel Mauricio was known as “The Dark Colonel,” though no one dared say that to his face. He also knew that his wife was pregnant and, if what Violet had said was true, they had a medical miracle coming into their lives. He had not heard about twins, but he was sure that the Alliance would want that to remain silent, especially if they were going to hurt them. Pressing a kiss to Violet’s cheek he rocked her back and forth. “We will warn them,” he promised as his mind tried to recall just where the Lord Colonel was currently.

Her eyes opened and her hand moved to curl around his neck. “I don’t know what that was. I felt as if I were in three time frames, past, present, and future.” Levering herself up slightly she pressed her forehead to his neck and breathed. “I do know that someone’s hunting an innocent woman because of a quirk of fate, Titan.” Her hands were shaking, but it seemed as if it was going as quickly as it had come on. “Can we help them?”

“We will,” he said softly with a promise in his voice. “I am even now trying to recall where the Lord Colonel and his Lady wife currently are. I will get word to them. Andries knows me, well, knows of me rather. I will make sure he understands that he is to be betrayed from the inside.”

“Thank you, Titan. I know it will likely be hard to convince him, but please, he has to listen to you.” She looked up at him and asked, “Are multiple births really as rare as the vision made me think they were?” And if they were it made her smile because perhaps the Syndicate’s Intelligence wasn’t as complete as they thought it was.

Nodding he shifted slightly. “There has never been a single multiple birth in the four thousand years that are recorded history of our world. I believe that there may have been one or two before that, but they are mere rumors, and from the rumors the children and mothers died because they could not get the blood needed to keep them alive.”

“That’s horrible.” She gasped but nodded. “Then I can see why the Alliance would want to have them to study, your, no our, people don’t have a very high pregnancy rate.” In fact Vampire pregnancies were fairly rare, and once a woman birthed one child it was normally a half century or more before they could birth another.

“No one should be put through the ‘study’ of the Alliance and I know it is not the Vampire half that wants them or her to ‘study,’” he bit out in a wave of visible anger. “The mother will not survive what they do to her and the children will be turned to the Alliance and away from their father if they get their hands on them. Xandra will suffer unbelievable agonies as they take her apart bit by bit to discover what makes her different and her children will be isolated and brainwashed. No Vampire would ever, ever condone that treatment which means it’s the non-Vampire half that wants to ensure we can’t reproduce faster than genetics previously allowed us.”

“Oh dear.” Violet was horrified by that thought. She couldn’t believe that someone would do something like he was suggesting. “Then yes, we have to help them because if somehow she does hold the key to our people being able to procreate more, shouldn’t she be protected and not harmed?”

Throwing her a small glare he lightly nipped at her chin. “She should be protected no matter what. She is a female and she is precious to all males. That is why she will be protected. I do not care if she can give us the secret to multiple births. She is a person and will have the full backing of all Vampire Lords to keep her safe. We will need to make it known that if she is harmed that we will institute martial law on our world again. The last time didn’t go well, especially for the non-Vampires. They took the curfews and lack of lawful rights rather personally. I understand where they are coming from there, but when it’s an entire race being targeted some extremes come about.”

Violet shivered and nodded. “And that would be very bad.” There had been “instruction” on the Vampire martial law time, and it was brutal. “Yes, all women who are mothers should be protected and I know it.” Her hands moved down his body. “Especially since I’m now one of them.”

“I won’t let you come to harm, Violet,” he said softly as he pulled her closer to him and he just held her for a moment. “I love you and you will not be hurt by anything that may or may not come,” he promised, pressing his lips to hers softly. Nibbling gently at her mouth he let out a sigh. “Our child will be just as safe as you are, my wife. You above all others will be protected.”

“I know I will, Titan.” She had complete and total faith in him. “I trust you and believe in you.” Holding onto him she breathed him in. “We both believe in you fully and completely.” She rubbed her body against his and as much as she hated to she pulled back. “You need to try to contact Lord Mauricio.”

“I will, love,” he told her softly. “Stay here and rest please?” he asked, softly stroking his hand down her back. “I will go and get a message to him to contact me.” He’d have to leave it vague. “And from there we will have to wait. If he is off world it may take some time, but if he is here then we will be able to alert him all the sooner.” Shifting he stood and then, turning, covered her back up before moving to dress.

“Believe me, your child and I are determined to stay right where we are.” She watched him and grinned. “Go, Titan, he and I are perfectly fine just laying here until you come back to us, until you come back to us and feed us,” she said, grinning.

Straightening from pulling his boots on he frowned slightly and moved to her side. Sitting he touched her cheek. “Will you be all right until I get back?” he asked with real concern. “I don’t want you to suffer any if you are in need now, love,” he told her when he saw the automatic reply starting to form in her mind. Her eyes told everything he realized and hid the smile at that realization. She couldn’t hide her thoughts completely. That would remain his little secret he knew. It would be useful to keeping her safe and out of trouble.

“We will be fine until you can return to us, my Lord husband.” She touched his cheek and smiled. “Go, Titan. I’m not moving an inch from right here and right now, darling. I promise you.” She paused only a moment. “A blanket would be wonderful. Feel like covering me up?”

Rolling his eyes at her he pulled the heavier cover up and over her body. Leaning over he kissed her lightly. “You had better be here when I return,” he said softly brushing his lips back and forth over hers. That said, he stood and moved quickly to the door before the temptation of her was too much and he forgot his mission.

She had the urge to jump from the bed and move to the couch but didn’t. Instead she lay back on the pillows with a goofy grin on her face and turning on her side, began to talk to their child.

Chapter Thirteen

Returning after a half hour during which he’d left his message with a couple of people who could find Andries and after feeding thoroughly, Titan stepped into the room and paused. Violet was lying on the bed speaking softly, and from the words he assumed she was talking to their child. Smiling faintly at her unusual ways he stripped down in silence and then moved to the bed and slid in behind her sliding his hand over her belly to rest where hers did. Kissing her neck he smiled at her look. “What are you filling his head with?” he asked softly.

“Telling him stories about his father.” She said with a grin, “It’s good for a babe in the womb to hear their parents’ voices, to have the mother talking to him.” She looked over her shoulder. “And to have the father talking to him.” Her hands rubbed over his as she added, “He feels you. When you place your hands on my belly, he can feel you.”

“Really?” he asked with surprise in his voice. “I didn’t know that,” he said and then he stilled. “He uh…” How the hell was he going to phrase this? “He’s not aware when his mother and I…are together is he?” he asked, putting emphasis to the word “together” and hoped she’d get his meaning.

She grinned. “I could let you think that he does.” She touched his hand, stroked his hand. “But no. He feels our love for each other, he feels how much we need each other but he can’t feel you inside of me, Titan, I promise.”

Grunting in relief he nodded. “Good, some things no child needs to know this early in life,” he murmured. Stroking her belly gently he rested his cheek to hers and curled up behind her even more before he closed his eyes. “I sent out several messages for the Lord Colonel to contact me and made sure he knew it was urgent. I just hope he is on our world or it will take a long time for him to get the messages even with the point-of-contact communications we have.”

“I hope that he and his Lady wife are close.” She paused and then asked, “When we have our son, Titan, where will we be? Keep in mind that he’s likely thinking like that right now. Where would he be able to take his wife where she would be safe, protected, and away from the bulk of the Alliance High Council.”

“On his ship which is outside of the purview of the Alliance,” he answered easily and quickly. Cursing softly he rubbed his cheek to her skin. “It means that he won’t be returning until after his Lady wife gives birth, at least not back to Castitas,” he muttered.

“Will you be able to reach him, however, Titan? One of the messages you sent, will they get through to him hopefully?” she asked and licked her lips. “Because if they are on a ship, the doctor will be able to take the wife and babies and run before he would know they were gone.”

Nodding he hugged her gently closer, his acts instinctively protective. “He’ll get the message,” he told her. “I worded it in such a way that no one, even he, will know what I’m referring to. I just told him that an emergency had arisen that I felt he needed to be made aware of as it concerned his House.”

“I believe in you, Titan. If anyone can save the woman and her children, it’s you.” She rubbed her hands up and down his arms before sighing. “For now, however, husband, you need to feed us. Your son and I are beginning to get hungry once more.”

Smiling at her words he loosened his arms so she could turn over in the bed. Once she was facing him he slid a leg up between hers, lifting her higher against him. “Take what you will,” he told her softly as he bared his throat to her.

She once again rubbed her cheek and then lips to the side of his neck before she licked where she was going to bite and with a moan she reached down between them and took him in hand and guided him into her. “Slow and easy,” she whispered next to his ear as she felt him hard and moving inside of her. As soon as he bucked into her deeper she struck, her teeth buried deeply, and she fed.

Groaning he cradled her head close. “This is not the way to convince me that we should be slow and easy,” he told her as he rocked into her pussy. Pulling her leg up over his hip he continued to move in and out of her body trying for that slow pace she had wanted.

As she rode him, every time she slid down his body she shook with need and whimpered in delight. The taste of him was like nectar from the gods. It was strength and pure. Finally she pulled back and sealed the wounds on his neck with delicate licks. “And yet you are giving me slow and easy.” Her lips found his and kissed him even as she urged him into a faster pace.

Cupping her bottom in his hands he picked up the pace as she’d demanded his mouth slanting across hers to deepen the kiss.

Her heel dug into his ass as she rode against him harder, faster, and with as much need as he gave her. She rode him for a while before she pulled back and gasped, “Titan.” She was so close. “Again, bite me again, feed from me, my Lord, please.”

He looked ready to argue, but seemed to change his mind. She’d taken a lot from him and he hadn’t yet taken enough back in return. Pulling him closer so his face was buried at her throat she squeezed encouragingly. His tongue slid lightly over her flesh and then, in the next moment his teeth bit into her skin. His arms pulled her closer to him. His hands squeezed and massaged her ass as he drove his cock into her over and over again. Her pussy took his cock as he sucked and swallowed down her blood.

She’d just needed him to take from her. If only a little she’d needed it desperately. She heard herself crying out with the touch of his lips to her throat and felt herself flying away with her release. She was holding on to him so tightly she could have sworn his body merged with hers in more than just the most obvious of places.

His seed spilling inside of her cunt, Titan let out a breath and felt his teeth release the enzyme even before his brain clued in and then he wondered at the brilliance of that. But it was too late. His body had marked her as his and he knew, when he lifted his head, he’d find the faint red marks of his House lineage. Pulling back gently he looked down to her throat after sealing the twin punctures and saw just what he knew he would.

She was warm and pliant in his arms, a happy and content smile on her face. “That felt amazing, Titan.” She turned to look at him and touched her fingers to his lips. “What’s wrong?” A shiver ran through her entire body. “Titan, what’s wrong?”

Shaking his head he smiled for her. “Nothing, love,” he whispered even as his eyes drifted back to her throat. “I marked you,” he murmured softly. Moving a hand he stroked a finger over the soft but very clear red lines that showed his lineage and all those of his House.

She shuddered at the touch and let out a moan of pleasure. “Marked me?” It came out as a breathless sound, her body clenching around his cock. “Oh god, what is that?”

“It’s something the male of our species can do with an enzyme that is hidden in the recesses of his teeth. It’s a one-time thing and only works for the one female that shares the soul tie with him,” he told her softly, still tracing the lines ever so lightly. “It shows the world that you are part of my House and tells them of my lineage.”

She whimpered with each touch and bit her lip. “And it’s very erotic.” She turned her heated gaze to him. “The feeling of your hand, your fingers moving over the lines. It’s like I have a whole new erogenous zone, Titan.”

Smiling slightly he licked at the mark and then chuckled softly at her shiver. “I will have to remember that you like to have it stroked should I ever need your attention on me,” he told her softly.

“You have my attention at all times anyway, Titan.” She whimpered then. “If you keep that up, Titan, you and I will be doing far more than just being here, and being together.”

Smiling slowly he nibbled on the mark enjoying each clench of her body, the small rush of wetness around him, and the scent, gods her scent fired his blood. “And just what might be this ‘far more’ you are referring to?” he asked in a quiet tone.

“I need you again.” She breathed over the roaring in her ears. “I can’t believe it, we just finished and already I need you again, please.” She begged him softly as they lay there locked together and his finger ever so lightly caressing her mark.

“Do you hear me denying you, Violet?” he asked her softly. Rolling to his back he moved her over him and smiled faintly at the look on her face. “Now, if I am not mistaken, and I’m pretty sure I’m not, you were going to tell me some of the very interesting things you learned during your hellish two years.”

“Where would you like me to begin? With how they taught me to kill, how they forced the knowledge they had of your people into my mind or what?” The look on her face was one of pain, upset.

Sitting up under her he wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t, love,” he said softly. “Please don’t hurt,” he whispered to her gently as he rubbed her back. “I don’t care, about any of it. Just please don’t hurt.” It hurt him to see that pain on her face and in her eyes.

“I’m trying, Titan, I really am. Yes, they taught me the ways of a whore, how to give pleasure and cloud a man’s mind. Is that what you would like?”

“No,” he whispered. “It hurts you and that hurts me so please, no more,” he asked of her. Squeezing her a little tighter, but ever careful of the fragile life they’d created he held her to him. “I was only…teasing.” He tried the word out. “I failed at it and for that I am very sorry. I would never hurt you, Violet, and yet I have.” He was a failure and he’d have to accept that.

“No, you didn’t hurt me.” How did she explain? How did she explain that just the thoughts of what she did, what she was forced to do made her stomach curl? “You haven’t failed, Titan, if anyone has it’s me because I can’t deal. You have been nothing but wonderful to me. I just, I’m trying, Titan, I really am trying, love.”

Nodding against her cheek he held her to him. “I know, love,” he whispered softly to her. “Just know that I will always be here for you, Violet. No matter what you tell me, what you don’t, I will always be here.”

“I know.” She just held onto him as she calmed her heart and soul. She was aching, a deep hurt that filled her and after a while abated and left her with just the feeling of love that she not only felt from Titan, but for him as well.

“I’m sorry I ruined what promised to be a very, very promising time, Titan.” Now she could kick herself. She couldn’t believe that she had brought all that up when he just wanted her to show him a part of herself, show him that she could and would be able to deal with giving as good as she got.

Leaning back he smiled at her gently. “Don’t apologize, Violet,” he said softly. “It’s better to know now than have you resenting anything I might say that refers to that time. I’m glad you told me.” He gave her a narrowed look. “The sarcasm I could have done without.” Titan gave her a wink and then kissed her cheek. “But I am glad you told me.”

“The sarcasm was needed or I would have broken, Titan.” She rubbed her cheek to his lips when he brushed the kiss there. “I won’t ever hold secrets from you, Titan. You’re mine and I’m keeping you forever and a part of that means that there will only be truth between us and that is what you will forever have from me. Truth.”

“Good,” he said before pulling her tight to him again. “I will always be as honest with you, Violet. It’s not in my nature to lie. Lies only confuse situations and I learned long ago that the world we live in is mired in enough confusion without adding to it.”

“Then we are good, Titan.” Her head pillowed on his shoulder she simply held there close to him and breathed in, accepted the comfort and love that he gave her.

Holding her for several long minutes Titan finally lifted his head. “No more tears, love?” he asked softly. Stroking back her hair he dipped his chin so they were eye to eye. “I do not like to see your eyes fill like that, Violet. It cuts me when you cry.”

“No more tears, Titan. Happiness for us from here on out. We deserve to be happy so we will.” She nodded. “Everything will work out fine, we will get through all of this, and we will be all the better for it, love. I promise we will get past this.” She was telling more herself than him.

Nodding once more he kissed her softly and then lay back down, the mood having fully been broken. As she settled over him he wrapped the blankets about her body ensuring she was covered and warm, so sweet of him. “If you ever do want to talk, love, not today, but one day,” he said, softly stroking her hair, “I will be here to listen and hold you, Violet.”

“Not today,” she agreed and closed her eyes. “But one day. One day, Titan, I will tell you everything, I promise.” Her body nuzzled up and closer to his. It was as if she were trying to crawl into him. “I love you, husband.” Her last whispered words before she dropped off and into sleep.

“I love you, too, my precious wife,” he said softly once he was sure she was asleep. Pressing a kiss to her head he wrapped her in his arms and just held her as he went to sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

“Yes, sir,” Titan said a moment before he closed the link and leaned back in his chair. Rubbing his hands over his face he sent out the call to his crew to let them know that they needed to prep the ship for a departure in three days’ time. Now all he had to do was tell Violet and figure out either how to get her to remain behind or how to keep her safe on the ship during the mission. He couldn’t leave her behind so he knew he had to take her with him.

Violet walked out with a bowl filled with a frozen sweet cream and grinned. “This is so good. Would you like to try?” Seeing the look on his face she paused. “What’s wrong, Titan?” she asked and moved to his desk to take a seat on the top of it facing him.

Sitting up in his chair he leaned his forehead to her knee and just sat there for a moment. “I’ve been ordered on a mission,” he told her as he lifted his head, his hands rubbing over thighs gently. “It’s being classified Black Level Five which means that I can’t take you with me,” he said softly. “But I also can’t leave you here, Violet. I need you to be with me.” He sighed and let his head drop again to lean in her lap. “I have no idea what the hell to do.” And gods did he hate admitting that.

“Yes, you can’t leave me behind for several reasons. One, I would find you. Two I can’t be.” She licked her lips and shook her head. “I don’t want to be alone, but mostly because of number three, the fact that without you and your blood your child and I would die and that’s just not acceptable to me.”

He had to smile at number one. He liked the resolve in her voice when she said number one. Number three unfortunately was the biggest problem. “You’re coming, love. I just have no idea how the hell I’m going to manage to get you on board yet. But”—he looked up at her—“we have three days to come up with a plan so when the Alliance snoops to do their checks no one will find you and we can launch without trouble.”

“They can’t honestly expect you to leave me behind anyway. That’s just, that’s crazy, Titan.” She grumbled, “Besides, it’s your ship, love. If you have need to stow me away, shouldn’t you have the best access to the best hiding places?”

“I do. My worry is where that’s going to be. This is a highly secret mission, love, which means that the Alliance is going to have their goons going top to bottom with the best scanning equipment on the market looking for what shouldn’t be there. I have a couple ideas, but I need to check them before I can risk you or our child there,” he said as he finally sat up and leaned back in his chair. “Come here,” he ordered holding out a hand, his intention to pull her into his lap and cuddle her.

She moved into his lap easily, the bowl of sweets set off to the side as she moved from the desk to his lap in one motion. Arms around his neck and legs moved to one side of him she sat sideways in his lap and nuzzled up against him softly. “I love you, Titan.”

Lowering his head over hers he held her to him. “I love you, too, Violet,” he murmured softly. Leaning back he shifted her gently and settled his hand over her belly. He couldn’t help it. He always seemed to have to touch where their child was growing.

She grinned and laid her hand over his. “He really likes when you do that. But for now though I really think that we should feed him.” Again she nuzzled at his neck and breathed in. “Have you fed recently, love?”

“Of course I did,” he said, shifting his head to give her more room. “I fed very well this morning and had just finished another bag before you came to join me.” Stroking her hair lightly he nuzzled her cheek. “Take what you need, love,” he whispered to her.

She smiled and nodded. “Have I mentioned just how much I love being able to feed from you, Titan? I don’t know if I will ever be able to do bagged blood, but taking from you…” She licked the side of his neck even as her hand moved his from her face to her breast. “It’s so erotic, I need you.” She always needed him, not just sexually, but in all ways.

Gently kneading her breast he let out a groan as she shifted in his lap rubbing against his hard cock. His hand slid up and he began to undo her top, pushing it aside to stroke her skin and then cup her breast once more. “I will always need you, Violet, if you don’t ever wish to feed from the bag, you know I won’t force you.”

She paused in the middle of removing his shirt and looked at him. “Are you sure? That won’t weaken you too much, to be the one I fed from?” She hoped that it wouldn’t because she wanted, she needed to be with the man she loved, and no one and nothing would or could get between them.

“As long as I know, I will ensure I am always well fed,” he promised her softly leaning in to kiss her softly. “You are mine to care for and it is my right to offer this to you.” Titan smiled gently at her. “Just say the word and you can take from me for all time.”

“I want that, Titan. I accept the gift you’re giving me and will hold it close for all time.” She was so touched by him, by his unwavering ability to see just what she needed and give it to her at any given time. “I love you, Titan, so much,” she whispered against his skin only a second before she bit into the side of his neck and fed hungrily.

Pressing a hand to her lower back he held her still as he ground against her. “And I you, my Lady wife.” He groaned softly leaning further back into the chair. Stroking her hair lightly he held her tight to him as he closed his eyes.

She drank of him deeply until her body and that of their child was satisfied and then licking the two small holes with her tongue she sealed it off before moving to kiss him. Violet kissed him with all the love she had for him, pouring into the kiss the hope she had for the both of them.

Nibbling on her full lips he breathed her in as he enjoyed her slight weight on his lap. Pulling back he kissed her lightly and brushing the hair from her eyes looked into the bright orbs. “Come walk the gardens with me?” he asked softly, needing to move for a bit and wanting her with him.

“I would like that, Titan.” She moved from his lap with the grace of a cat and stood by waiting on him. On the last moment she grabbed the sweet cream still left in the bowl and grinned. “Can we walk by the kitchens first so that I can drop this off?”

“Of course,” he told her with a half smile as he straightened his clothing so he looked presentable. Taking her hand in his he led her out of his study and down the long halls to the kitchens. Nodding to the staff within he waited with amusement as she assured the cook that the sweet cream was delicious but she was going for a walk and needed to keep it chilled.

Finally she accepted the wrap the cook thrust at her and smiled. As they moved out of the house she wrapped it close to her. “Are they always so…” She paused and then with a grin said, “Bossy?”

“Yes,” Titan said with an emphatic nod that looked as though his head would fall off at any moment. “Trust me, once they know everything about you, they will be even more so. That…” He waved to the house and then the wrap she wore about her shoulders. “Nothing compared to when they start doling out advice,” he said, rolling his eyes as he remembered some of the things he’d received well-meaning advice on over the years.

“I know that they do it only out of love so I can live with it, darling.” She touched a leaf as they walked by and smiled. “You should have heard them telling me about being pregnant. The ‘advice’ they gave me for when to feed.” She gave him a hot look and then held back the giggles. “They said never feed when we are making love.”

“They are all fired,” he announced darkly. “Why exactly did they advise against feeding while we make love?” he asked as he directed them down a path toward the flowering shrubbery. He was partially curious and also trying to figure out how to hire new staff in under two days for the house…maybe.

She was laughing so hard that she tripped over her own feet and only his hands steadying her kept her from falling down on the path. “Well it seems”—she looked over the flowering shrubs and smiled—“they are concerned because we are both so”—she paused—“vocal about our loving.” She did flush. “It seems that you and I are very loud and very rough with our loving. They were concerned that we would get carried away.” She shrugged. “I don’t think they really meant it though because they all began to laugh uncontrollably with that.”

Titan eyed her and shook his head. “You know, I don’t have a sense of humor. One would think since they all have worked for me for a very long time and know me personally, they’d know not to pull that sort of thing.” He didn’t really mind that the staff knew they were vocal when together. He liked knowing that they knew he was satisfying his wife. But the unsolicited advice had to stop. It was giving her ideas and embarrassing her, unacceptable.

She moved closer to him to soak more of his heat into her body, as the rubbing of her arms continued. “They meant well. I think more than anything they were trying to see if I had a sense of humor.” When she glanced up at him she added, “Could be they are hoping I will rub off on you and soon you will be smiling and joking with us.”

“With you perhaps,” he said quietly before looking away even as he shrugged out of his jacket and, pulling the wrap from her shoulders, slid the heat of the material around her knowing it would keep her warm. “But I was trained never to betray emotions to anyone. You are different though. I don’t seem to have the same safeguards in place with you as I do the rest of the society.”

“I don’t understand why they beat the emotions out of you, Titan.” She took the seat on the large fallen log and simply looked at him. “Emotions are a necessary part of life. To show them isn’t a weakness but the Vampire nation thinks they are. I don’t understand.” She obviously wanted to know as much about her new life as she could and could only learn by asking him questions. “Does it make me weaker because I can show how much I love you or does it make you weaker to give me the love that you so readily give to me?”

“Neither,” he said quietly as he straddled the log to face her, settling his arms around her waist. “For the Vampire we are trained to not feel so that we don’t touch. It all goes back to the plague we had infecting our world for so long. To not touch leads itself to not feel, if you can’t touch your lover’s face then you won’t feel pleasure, lust, need, or love for them. To not hold your child’s hand will lead you to not worry when they are shipped off to the Academy for military training and then placement in one position or another. It’s not as strictly regulated now since the disease is gone, but the old ways all serve us well until we meet the one for us, our soul tie. When she or he comes into our sphere of influence they rebirth the feelings inside and we give them solely to the one that woke them. It makes them all the more unique and special to us,” he said softly.

“I think that’s the sweetest thing that anyone has ever before said to me,” she whispered and touched his cheek. Leaning in she pressed her forehead to his and asked, “And what of our children? Of the children born to those who have a soul tie? Do they experience the parents’ love and touch as well or is that…” She didn’t know what she was saying so blundered into, “Will you be able to touch and hold our children, too?”

Frowning slightly he looked into her eyes. “Why would I not?” he asked, sounding confused. “Unless you have no wish to allow me to, I would gladly hold our children and teach them anything,” he said hesitantly because he was clearly on unfamiliar ground.

“Of course I want you to hold our children, to teach them and be a part of their lives but I didn’t know if you could because of the training you received and how touch seems to hurt you with anyone but me, Titan.” She sounded so relieved by what he’d just said. “Our children will be part of you, too,” he told her softly stroking her arm lightly before he cupped her cheek. “And the pain is a mental warning. It’s easy enough to override if I wish,” he said. Leaning in he kissed her gently. “Come on, love, let’s finish our walk and then we can go in for dinner.”

“Oh, that sounds nice. Cook is making small game hens tonight for dinner as well as fresh vegetables.” Her mouth watered. “And chocolate mousse.” And now she was all but drooling. “I love chocolate and it seems your son loves it, too, because I crave it almost constantly now.” While blood was her main dietary need, she loved the fact that she could still eat the foods she craved. They might not do as much for her as they had when she’d been human, but it was still nice to sit for a meal and enjoy the textures and flavors of food.

Standing he lifted a brow at her. “Oh really?” he asked with a hint of a smile. “I think that may be his mother’s influence over him,” he teased gently. Tucking her hand in his arm he stroked her fingers with his free hand. “I do like that you have that influence over him. Maybe he’ll grow up to be so much better than his father ever could be,” he said quietly as he guided her along a different path circling back toward the house.

She stumbled in shock and shook her head. “Don’t say things like that, Titan. I happen to love his father very much and think that he is the most amazing man that has ever been created.” She grumbled and stepped over a log with his help before she said, “I think, however, between the two of us he will be the best man that he is destined to be, Titan.”

“I hope so,” he said softly to her as he stroked her hand lightly as he seemed to purposefully ignore the first of what she said. Looking down at her he let his eyes move over her face. “I think that he’ll be amazing, his mother is an amazing and strong female,” he told her gently.

“And his father is incredible, strong, intelligent, fierce.” She smiled. “Even if he doesn’t realize it, he really is.” She squeezed his hand and nodded. “Yep, he’s the best of the best but if he tries to tell me he isn’t”—she paused and placed her hands on her hips—“then I will just have to kick him.”

Eyeing her defensive posture he smiled faintly and, leaning in, kissed her lightly on her lips. “I would never be so bold as to contradict my female and her stand. She is amazing and always right so I will have to believe in her completely and trust that what she sees is true,” he whispered softly even as he sheltered his heart from the pain of the knowledge that he’d never be anything like what she believed she saw.

“Too bad your pretty lips say that you believe but your haunted eyes say that you don’t believe a word that I have said.” Shaking her head she touched her hands to his cheeks and smiled. “One day I hope you believe that what I say is truth, Titan.”

He was still stuck on the first part. “You did not just refer to my lips or any other part of me as ‘pretty,’” he said in absolute horror that he couldn’t contain. Shaking his head at her he narrowed his eyes. “Tell me that you did not just say those words, Violet?” he asked, half demanding.

“I did.” She skipped away from him when they were once more in the open field before his home. “I do believe that I called them your ‘pretty lips,’ Titan, what are you going to do about it?” She grabbed the hem of her dress and began to jog backward from him.

Moving toward her he smiled faintly. “I think I need to paddle your beautiful bottom,” he said. “I will strip you naked, bend you over my knee, and smack your bottom,” he added as he really began to stalk her, his head lowering and his eyes shifting to those of the predator.

“You are you making promises now, my Lord husband?” She laughed and skipped backward again, looking over her shoulder briefly. “I think you will have to catch me first before you carry through with the promises that you are giving out.”

“Oh, my sweet Lady wife, you should never taunt a predator,” he said with a low growl and, in a lightning move, charged her. He saw her eyes go wide and then she really took off running, her skirts held well up over her legs so she had lots of room to run. Growling under his breath as he closed in was the only warning he gave before he scooped her up into his arms and was rewarded by a shrieking laugh.

She laughed and kicked her legs as she did so, losing a shoe in the process. Holding on to him tightly she laughed and let him spin her around and around. Leaning in she pressed the side of her face to his neck and grinned. “And what of that spanking, my Lord husband?”

Growling at her with amusement in his tone he slid his hand up under her skirt to find her delectable bottom and gave it a light smack. “I must first find a bench to sit on so that I may drape you over my lap. And then I will be able to attend to your spanking, my Lady wife.” He breathed against her cheek as he smoothed his hand over her buttocks.

Giggling madly she shook her head. “Just keep in mind that if you make it red, you have to kiss it better.” The heated look she shot him had anything but shame in it. “So please make sure that it’s nice and red.”

“I shall try,” he said, scooping her legs up so he could carry her toward the bench in the arbor. It was sheltered from view and he’d be able to hear or smell any that approached, not that any would dare as they knew he was out with his Lady wife. Letting her legs down he settled on the bench and pulled her close and face-down on his lap. Slowly he slid his hand up under her skirt to find her bottom, pushing the material up out of the way. One little smack sounded before he stroked his fingers between her buttocks and then lightly smacked her again.

Chapter Fifteen

The smacks were supposed to be punishment but she gasped and bit her lip. “Again,” she whispered even as she felt her body beginning to respond to the little love taps. “Harder this time,” she requested and felt another delicious sting that had her cry out in passion, not pain.

Scenting her arousal Titan’s body began to respond in kind as he brought his hand down a little harder. As she jerked and moaned he felt his cock harden under her belly and smacked her again. Rubbing his hand over her bottom he slid between her legs and found her wet, which only made him all the more needy.

“Titan,” she moaned and bit at his thigh. “I need you, now,” she demanded. She was trying to move but the iron bands of his arms held her in place.

Smacking her bottom again he leaned over and bit her bottom. “That was for the bite you gave me,” he told her with a partial smile. Licking at the small wound slowly, swirling his tongue around he nibbled slowly over the lightly reddened buttock. “That is just because I have you at my mercy,” he teased softly.

Her ass tightened and untightened as he bit and kissed her red butt cheeks. “Titan.” Violet gasped as he moved his hands between her thighs and rubbed her unmercifully.

“Yes?” he asked softly as he teased her with his fingertips. Nibbling down the curve he slid his tongue back up her bottom and then, as she sighed, he slipped two fingers deep into her waiting cunt.

“Oh god!” Violet squeaked as he slipped his fingers deep into her pussy. “Titan.” She gasped and viciously bit down on his thigh once more, not with fangs, just teeth.

His leg jerked at her bite and he chuckled softly over her flesh before he carefully bit her, taking a lot of her flesh into his teeth careful to keep his canines from pushing into her skin. Moving his hand he stroked her very gently as he licked slowly at the marks he’d left in her buttocks.

Violet screamed with the bite and began to orgasm. That fast and that simply she came. “Again. God, Titan, I need more, everything.” She wasn’t very coherent in her speech.

Lifting his head he pulled his fingers free, and smacking her bottom once more, a little harder than before, he pulled her upright into his lap. “Straddle me,” he demanded even as he freed his cock from his pants. Pulling her down to him as she did as he demanded he tugged her slowly over his engorged cock even as he worked at the top of her laces and tugged on her bodice to free her breasts.

Hands braced on his shoulder she began to ride him as roughly and desperately as she was feeling and he, too, was feeling. “You know what I need, Titan,” she cried out when he freed her breasts from her bodice.

Without warning or even a sound, he bit into her breast to take her life’s blood into his body. Cupping her ass in his hands he helped her to ride him. Growling against her flesh he closed his eyes. His inner self, the beast, looked to be reveling in her, if the look on his face could be believed.

She held his head to her breast and rode out the storm before she couldn’t take any more and screamed again, her body coating his in her pleasure heavily as she rode him there in the little gazebo covered with ivy.

Holding her down onto him as he came he gave a fierce shudder. Pulling his teeth from her breast he soothed the little holes with his tongue gently before turning his face to nuzzle at her other breast.

She dropped her head to his shoulder and just lay there in his arms gasping for air and shuddering from time to time with little mini orgasms. Finally she lifted her head. “I love you, Titan.”

“I love you as well, my Lady wife,” he murmured, kissing her gently even as he continued to massage her bottom. His hands hadn’t been still once since they had begun or since they’d both flown to the stars. “We should go in for our meal,” he suggested as he licked his lips and let his gaze roam over her face and then down to her breasts bared to the cooling evening air.

“You’re probably right.” She moved her hands to the ties of her gown and smiled. “Do you want to kiss them before I pack them away?” Seeing indecision on his face she shrugged and packed the girls away. “They feel like they are getting bigger, what do you think?” She still hadn’t moved from him, didn’t want to leave him yet because it felt too good.

“They are fuller,” he told her softly as he nuzzled the top curves of her breasts as he helped her to finish the ties. “They will continue to get fuller for the next month and then they will fill with what our child needs to grow,” he said as he lifted his face to look into hers.

“And for some reason that makes me absurdly happy.” Cupping his cheek with her hands she smiled. “You gave me a child, Titan, a little being that depends on me, and on you.” Leaning in she nuzzled against his cheek. “Thank you, Titan, for everything, thank you.”

“You are more than welcome,” he told her softly. “Just remember that when you give birth to our child and you are not liking me nearly as much.” Letting out a sigh he lifted her up off of him with a groan. “We need to eat,” he told her as he set her back on her feet and stood to tuck his cock back into his pants, much to her dismay.

“I think I want to be put under hypnosis when our child is born.” She shuddered. “I’ve heard stories about child birth and think that I will want to be one of those weenie women who lets her husband put her in a trance for the children to be born. Yep, that sounds like the right idea to me.”

“If that is your wish,” he said as he straightened her gown out. “You know I will do anything that you ask, Violet,” he added. Taking her hand he kissed her knuckles lightly. “Come, let’s go and get some food.”

“I think so, Titan, we will think more of it when we get closer.” Once she was all back to rights she slipped her arm around his arm that he offered and leaned into him with a soft sigh. “You are amazing, Titan.” As they left the little gazebo she grinned. “And we so have to come back here, often.”

“As often as you wish,” he told her softly, stroking her hand lightly with his fingers. “I’m sure that we will find a great many opportunities to do this. I rather liked the spontaneity of the moment. It was different for me.” He sounded a little stilted and unsure, but his face was relaxed, a good sign.

“That’s a good thing.” She squeezed his arm and sighed. “It’s nice to be able to just have these moments, don’t you think? To be able to have our own little place to get away from everything?” And to her that was what the little gazebo was.

Opening the door he ushered her in and followed with a hint of a smile. “We have many such places,” he pointed out. “But I have to admit, I now have a great fondness for the gazebo. And I am sure we will discover many more as well,” he murmured in her ear as they entered the kitchens and were hit with the scents of the foods cooking and being prepared.

“Of that I am very sure.” She stopped in her tracks and deeply inhaled with a smile. “Oh god.” Her mouth immediately began to water and her stomach growled. “So hungry.” She approached one of the women, leaving Titan standing at the door. “Would you mind terribly if I took a small little plate of whatever that is before dinner?”

Glancing past the mistress to the Lord, the woman smiled slightly. “Dinner is ready if you’d prefer to sit down and begin now, my Lady,” she said in a quiet tone.

Moving up behind Violet Titan looked down into her eyes. “Sounds good to me, that way I can do some work afterward and then we can retire early this evening if you wish, my Lady,” he suggested to her.

“I would like that as well.” She looked to the woman and grinned. “Thank you, for thinking ahead and having dinner ready early.” Again she inhaled. “You are an angel among women if that tastes anywhere near as good as it smells.”

“We’ll clean up and then be back down, Mavis,” Titan said to the woman as he pulled, literally, Violet away from the kitchen. “Give us ten minutes and we will be right back down,” he told Mavis over his shoulder.

Violet moved with him and frowned. “I think we will be back in less than ten minutes. I’m a hungry woman, Titan,” she teased him and then danced back away from him. “Come on, love,” she tugged on his hand. “Let’s see if we can make it back in seven minutes instead.”

“As you say, my Lady wife,” he told her, following behind her at a more sedate pace though he did enjoy the view as she lifted her skirts to climb the stairs quickly. Shaking his head he went up quickly as he wondered if there would ever be a day that she wouldn’t bring joy into his life.

Chapter Sixteen

“I’m not ready to wake up, Titan. Can’t you tell them that you aren’t going in today?” She had to grin at that fact. It was as if she said the same thing every morning and had for the last two weeks. The stowing her away part was actually far easier than they had even imagined. Slipping past the inspectors had been easier than even Titan had believed. “I think that your child and I both have decided that you’re gonna play hookie.” Her belly was now slightly larger with the swell of their child.

Titan ran a hand over her hair. “I’m sorry, love, but you need to wake right now,” he told her, his voice carrying urgency. When she opened her eyes to look at him he knew she saw that he was fully clothed and that their room was dark with only the faintest blue lights glowing. Before he could explain…

“All hands to stations!” blared through the ship before there was a jolt that she recognized as explosive ordnance hitting the shields.

She rolled out of the bed with wide eyes and fear there. “Titan?” she asked and pulled on his discarded shirt and tugged on his slacks as well and tied the waist band over her big belly. “Titan, what in the world is happening?” She moved to him and placed her hands on his when he reached out to steady her.

“Remember when I said this was not going to be a fun-and-games mission?” he asked as there was another jolt. “We’re under attack,” he told her quietly. “I need you to get dressed and then one of the guards is going to take you down to the shuttles just in case.” He was not taking chances with her, she recognized that.

She nodded and stepped into her shoes. Already dressed she came closer to him. “I’m ready, Titan.” The next jolt pitched her into his arms where she hung onto him for a moment. “I love you, Titan, go. We will be safe, love, just take care of yourself and know I can take care of our son and I.”

Hugging her close to him he kissed her hard and fast even as he was paged to the command deck. “I love you, Violet. Do not let anything happen to you or our son otherwise I will be very unhappy with you.” Kissing her again he stepped back and, taking her arm, led her out to the guard. “Anything happens to her, and your heads will be mounted to my wall,” he warned in a deadly mean tone as he pointed at the two guards. “Be safe, love,” he whispered gently to Violet and then he was gone.

She moved with the guard from her quarters and toward the lifepod that was already prepped and ready for them, just in case. The floor pitched again and the alarms sounded. Lights flickered and blinked off even as the backups came on. Turning she looked to the guard. “I need a weapon.” Really she didn’t, but if they were going to be boarded she wasn’t going to let anyone close enough to her to possibly hurt her son.

Sharing a look with the other guard the first pulled his sidearm, checked that it was loaded, and had a round at the ready and then passed it to her without saying a word.

* * * *

“What the hell are you doing to my ship?!” Titan demanded as he came onto the command deck, almost catapulted across the space by the last blast hitting their shields.

“Syndicate vessel is not taking no for an answer and demanding we stand aside to let them pass. When we denied them again they opened fire. We’ve been drawing them into our space,” the major reported.

“The ship has crossed the markers, sir!”

Turning Titan looked at the screens that told him the same. “Then kill that bastard and don’t stop until there is nothing and I do mean nothing left,” he ordered.

“Fire all tubes!” the major yelled.

Chapter Seventeen

She was jostled once more but what got her was when she hit the wall of the hall. Pain exploded in her mind but so, too, did the vision. She saw them boarding and panted. “Tell Titan that they are boarding us.” She gasped. “They brought in a cloaked ship, one of the lower bays.” She was sweating blood and had cut her head open. When the guard didn’t act to move she screamed, “Tell him!”

* * * *

“My Lord, we’ve been boarded,” a young lieutenant called across the deck. “They apparently came aboard in a cloaked vessel and…”

Titan turned from where he was ordering security to the breach. “What?” he demanded, moving across to the man. “What is it?” he asked softly, trying to keep his temper under control.

“Your Lady wife is in the same bay,” the man whispered in the smallest of voices but had the whole command deck quieting.

Turning Titan raced out of the command deck and hit the emergency ladders taking them down fast. There was no time for the lifts. Racing down the corridors he raced along as the guards pounded up behind him. Pausing at the doors he signaled them to open them and, damn him, he should have ducked. Gasping he stumbled back and then, spinning slightly, all that he remembered from that moment on was the deck plates coming up to meet his face as he fell face-down.

Violet was behind the barrels, reloading the weapon and trading off for another. “We should vent the deck.” She only half joked. “If we vent the deck it will shoot them off in…” She stopped when she rose to fire once more. That was when she saw it. She watched as the doors slid open and there stood her husband looking ready to kill.

There were blasts from rifles, a scuttle of beings, and then silence. Her weapon thrown to the floor she raced for her downed husband and skidded to a stop on her knees before him. “Titan,” she whispered even as she held her hand to the wound on his shoulder. “Titan, don’t you dare die on me. I will hunt you down in the afterlife.”

“We need to get out of here and to a room, my Lady.” Two of the guards grabbed up their Lord while another helped Violet to her feet. “We’re going to vent this damned floor and get the bastards off our Lord’s ship,” he said as he hustled her to a room they could secure. Inside he connected to the command deck and ordered the blast doors to be blown open and to vent the floor.

Turning to her the guards hustled Violet from the doors and into the secondary room, shutting the doors once they were past them. A shudder came as the air left the whole floor five minutes after the order, all hands having been evacuated to upper decks.

Groaning softly Titan struggled to roll over. “Report,” he demanded even though he had no idea where he was or what he’d been doing. He listened with half an ear as he rolled over to his back and then saw Violet. “Vi,” he whispered to her and then seeing the blood on her forehead he was up despite the pressing blackness. Snarling at the guard who immediately dropped his hands he pulled her into his arms. “Are you all right?” he whispered softly as he wavered slightly.

“Yes.” She pushed at him. “Back on the ground, mister.” She gave angrily, “You nearly gave me a heart attack when you fell and now you’re up again, down!” She growled low. Looking to one of the guards she said, “He needs blood. Do you have bags in here or are you going to offer to feed him?” She couldn’t offer to him. She had lost blood with her head injury and didn’t want to even chance their son. “Come on, people, move.”

“It’s already closing, love,” he told her, bringing her back to him as he nodded to a guard to find some bags of blood. “Come here, Violet,” he murmured, catching her cheeks in his hands and lightly laving his tongue over her head wound. Slowly and carefully he sealed the wound and pulled back to inspect it. It was closed and it would slowly fade over time. “Come and sit down with me, my Lady wife.” He wasn’t taking no for an answer and just pulled her along with him to a corner, taking the bags of blood from the guard before he slid down to sit.

“The vision came too late, my Lord, I’m sorry,” she whispered as she snuggled in against him. “I failed you when you needed me most. I’m so sorry. Why did you come down anyway?” she asked suddenly. “They didn’t call for you.”

“The sensors went off at the unauthorized breach of the outer doors and when we couldn’t figure out why we did a bit of fast deduction,” he told her, setting a bag down and cradling the other. “I have a young lieutenant to promote to the next pay grade I think,” he said. “He told me that it was the bay where you were waiting and I just ran for you yelling for security to meet me there…I think,” he murmured and then with a shrug, stuck the bag in hand to his teeth and drank down the life-giving fluid.

“The last jolt made me lose my balance and I hit the wall in the corridor outside of the bay.” She spoke quietly even as she watched the men who seemed to be watching them, yet not. “I was slammed with a vision and I screamed for them to call you on the comms but then the door opened and we were in a firefight.” She shuddered. “None of them got out of the bay. The guards killed two of them but first we had been tugged into the bay.” Well she had and the guards came in after her with weapons blazing.

Dropping the empty bag to the side he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her temple gently. “I wish I’d just gotten there sooner,” he murmured softly as he brushed back some of her hair to see her forehead fully. “I hate that you could have been hurt because the Syndicate is getting too damned cocky for their own good.”

“They are becoming far more bold than they ever were.” She looked up at him and shook her head. “It’s all right, Titan, it will heal I promise.” She tugged him closer and sighed. “It’s as if they are forgetting just how hard the Vampire Nation can be.” Either that or they knew something that the Vampire Lords didn’t.

“We may have to remind them,” Titan said with a chill to his voice. “They nearly killed my wife and child. I will hunt all of the bastards down and make each and everyone of them pay for it. I will personally make sure that they all pay for this.”

“And I will be right there at your side helping.” She knew he was going to try to argue so she simply looked at him and cocked her brow, which made her wince in pain. “Dammit,” she grumbled.

Kissing her cheek he nuzzled at her soft skin. “When you heal, my Lady wife. Until then you will have to trust me to beat some sense into these moronic humans. When you are well, we will go and find them all and I will let you do as you wish to those that tried to harm you and our child.” It wasn’t just a promise from him to her. It was an oath from a warrior to his soul tie who was as much of a warrior as he was.

She shivered delightfully and nodded, vengeance cold in her heart. “And I will do just that. No one dares try to harm our child.” There was a brutal honesty to her words. They were spoken so calmly that it showed she was every bit as much a warrior as he. The only difference was she wasn’t born to be a warrior, but had been forced to be one, and she was going to ensure the Syndicate knew just how good she was, before she laid waste to them.

Kissing her hard, Titan slid his tongue over hers as he held her close. “I love you, Violet,” he whispered against her lips. Pulling back he rubbed his nose to hers briefly and then, picking up the other bag, stuck his teeth through it. Holding her to him he closed his eyes, suddenly looking exhausted before laying his cheek to her hair.

She adjusted herself so that she was across his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. Soon she was out cold without another word or sound.

“My Lord,” the young officer spoke, “it’s early morning on our home world. The Lady is still a new turn and needs rest. We can take her to your rooms so that you can go back to command if you wish?” That reminded Titan that they were still in a battle with the Syndicate ship.

Lifting a brow at the young man Titan sat holding his gaze until the younger male looked away in discomfort. Young pup thinks to tell me how to conduct business aboard my ship? he thought, shaking his head slightly. When the bag was done he pulled it from his mouth and then lifted Violet in his arms. “Get someone down to the shuttle bay to find out what they can from the ship, tell them to proceed with caution just in case,” he ordered one. The cocky little bastard Titan eyed. “You follow me,” he said. He’d take Violet to their bed and leave the guard with her in the room, the outer room, with the doors to the inner room shut.

The young guard nodded and his face paled. “Yes, my Lord.” He squeaked. Yes, a grown man, far into his years, squeaked. He did, however, follow on their heels as Titan carried Violet through the ship. Entering their quarters Titan stopped just inside the door. “You will remain stationed on this side of the door and you will not, under any circumstances move from this spot unless the Lady is in direct and immediate bodily harm,” he ordered with a definite bite to his voice. Not waiting for an answer since he knew what it would be, he carried Violet into their rooms and, laying her down, undressed her quickly before tucking her into bed. Kissing her forehead softly he whispered to her and their child before leaving, throwing the guard another warning look. “When she wakes, alert me.”

“Yes, sir,” the young man said and saluted, a sign of respect and honor. “I will protect her with my life, sir.”

“Yes, you will,” Titan agreed with a chilly look. Leaving him Titan went to the command deck and getting the status report ordered a full-out attack on the Syndicate ship. He was pissed beyond belief and he wanted someone to die because of it.

Chapter Eighteen

It was hours later when Violet moved from the place on the bed. Frowning she looked around. “How did I get here?” Moving she went to the door and placed a hand on her aching head. When the door opened she saw the young officer. “Where is Titan?” She needed to know that he was all right.

‘‘On the command deck, my Lady,” the officer said with a bow of his head to her. “He was needed to finish the battle we are currently in.” Not that there had been another explosion against their vessel for the last two hours, leading her to believe the other ship might have been destroyed. “If you wish, my Lady, I can contact him and alert him that you are awake.”

Racing down the corridors Titan slapped a hand to the scanner at his quarters and stepped in to see Violet wavering on her feet. “Out,” he ordered the officer before moving to his wife. “Violet, love, you should still be resting,” he reprimanded softly, his arms wrapping around her.

Her arms moved around his waist automatically and her head rested on his chest. “And so, too, should you, husband.” She complained but rubbed her cheek to his chest. “I woke alone, I don’t like to wake alone,” she whispered. “Can we kill the lights, Titan? My head actually is hurting.”

Telling the computer to go to low lighting, he left only the tiny lights under the edges of the furniture on to ensure that they could still see enough to move around without trouble. “Come, love, let’s get you back to bed,” he told her quietly as he shifted her enough to walk with her into the other room.

“Tell me about the Syndicate ship. Have they pulled back or been destroyed?” she demanded, and it was a demand, her tone telling him she needed to know everything. “Did you get any information from the men who boarded us? Why they thought to be so bold?”

Helping her back into bed after he pulled off her dressing gown he covered her as he moved back to undress. While he didn’t want to scare her, he knew she had the right to know. “They were planning on taking you and then, when their medical team had you, they were going to dissect you and the baby to find new and fun ways to kill our people.” Sliding into the bed with her he wrapped his arms around her. “And I happily and quite gleefully blew their ship into little pieces,” he said with a growl.

Wrapping her arms around him she nodded. “I’m glad that you did that then. Hopefully they weren’t able to get off and escape. I know that’s bloodthirsty of me.” She shrugged. “But any who wants to hurt our child deserves to die a slow and painful death.”

“While it goes against all good conduct of a warrior and the laws of battle, we destroyed all the escape pods,” he admitted to her softly. “I was not going to allow any chance of another coming for our child, Violet, or for you,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. “I love you, Violet, and, no matter what, you are always mine to protect.”

“And I love you, too,” she whispered and then said, “They lost all right to live when they crossed into our space and willingly boarded us with the knowledge that they would be taking a pregnant female. The Syndicate needs to be sent a warning and if that’s not one, I don’t know what is.”

“It was a good start, but they will continue to test us,” Titan predicted with a certain knowledge of the enemy. “We will need to ensure the Alliance knows of this and prepares for all that will come of it, for I do not doubt there will be repercussions for the acts here. We will also need to send the word to the Syndicate that if they even approach the safety zones they will be turned away with force.”

“I just wish that I knew why they had suddenly become so brazen?” She sighed and shook her head. “First my mother hands me over to them, her heir, the only woman who will be able to carry the Seer line through yet she sent me off to become—” She stopped dead, a shiver wracking her form. “And now them coming into the safety zone and the Alliance territory as if they owned it?”

Hugging her closer to him he rubbed at her back gently. “Don’t think of it, love,” he said softly as he stroked her bare back. “You are safe now and I will always keep you safe. I promise you that, little one,” he murmured against her ear. “I do not know why they suddenly grew a set, but we will discover it and we will ensure that they pay for their stupidity.”

“I have to agree fully.” She rubbed her hands on his back, simply holding on to him for the comfort that he gave her and giving it back as best she could. “For now though we will simply focus on us. The three of us. We will learn how to be the family we have begun and everything past that will simply wait.” She knew it wouldn’t, but it sounded good to say it.

“We will insist it wait,” he told her with a faint smile, kissing the end of her nose. “How are you and our darling child doing?” he asked as he slid a hand over her belly to begin a gentle massage.

“We are doing well, Titan. Slightly hungry though, truth be told.” But she didn’t want to move from where she was. “How is the proud papa doing?” Her hands moved over his shoulders and down, needing to touch as much of him as she could while he caressed her belly.

“Tired, a bit of a headache,” he admitted, resting his forehead to hers. “Very happy that my wife and child are safe and healthy,” he murmured, his eyes drifting shut. “I think I may just nap for a moment,” he told her before he turned his head to yawn widely.

“I’m fine with that as long as I can turn over first.” She shifted in his arms so that her back was to his front and his hands lay over her belly and their child possessively. “So much nicer,” she murmured and adjusted her head on his shoulder. “Nap, darling. We will wake later.”

Brushing his lips over her neck he breathed her in. “I love you, Violet,” he whispered before he yawned again. Settling down he tugged up the blankets even higher before placing his hand back on her belly. Titan snuggled into her heat. Closing his eyes he held her tight to him and, with her fingers lightly stroking the backs of his hands, he was soon drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Nineteen

Two months later

Screams rent the air, tearing the calm to shreds as another contraction hit the woman laboring in the bed to give birth to the new heir. Obscenities were hurled toward the father to be, words that would send the most seasoned of war veterans running for cover.

Another pause as the mother panted through the lull in pain and closed her eyes, tears falling. “Something’s wrong, Titan.” She had been in labor for eleven hours, hard birthing labor for nearly two, and the look on the midwife’s face confirmed her words.

Holding her close to him Titan looked to the midwife. “Tell us.” He bit out the order. He was exhausted, crankier than his Lady wife, and half deaf from her screams. He’d rushed back from the city after a long day with the Alliance and beating his head to the wall yet again only to find Violet in agony and screaming bloody murder.

“He’s very large, my Lord,” the woman began. “Your son, he’s a very, very large child and he is trying to come out feet first, almost sideways,” she added. “My Lord.” She swallowed hard, the sound audible. “My Lord, we need to somehow turn the child or we will need to take the child out through the Lady’s stomach.”

Violet screamed again in pain. “Whatever you have to do. Please just do it, Titan!”

Stroking back her hair gently Titan pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Do whatever is necessary,” he ordered the midwife with a sharp look. “Make sure that both mother and babe survive.” Or else you shan’t, was what hung silently in the too-humid air.

Nodding in understanding of the threat hanging in the air the midwife whispered, “I need to get something. I will be right back.” She told him and then stood. “If you can do something for your Lady wife, my Lord, please place her in a trance or force her to sleep so that she won’t feel the pain of what I’m about to do?”

Nodding he watched the birthing woman moving, his eyes never leaving her form and so, too, with the guards just inside the space. Titan was taking no chances with his Lady wife’s safety, hers or their child’s. “Violet, love,” he said softly, hugging her to him as he stroked her cheek. “I need you to focus on my voice. I want you to push everything else aside and find your calm center inside.”

Violet’s eyes opened and looked into his. “I’m trying, Titan,” she whispered and began tumbling into the abyss he was creating for her. She would no longer feel the midwife touch her. “I love you, Titan,” she whispered softly as she slipped deeper into the trance.

“Keep breathing slowly,” he told her, letting his voice drop a little more. “I’ve got you safe, you are always safe in my arms,” he murmured, his voice dropping even lower. “You are my life, the very breath in my lungs,” Titan said as he watched her, the actions of the midwife noted from the corner of his eye. “Nice and easy, in and out, everything else falls away but you and I. Nothing else exists in this moment.”

Violet nodded and breathed with him. “Good job, my Lord. Keep her there,” the midwife said as she pulled out a long, wicked-looking silver blade. “Keep her anchored to you, my Lord. I will do this as quickly as I can.” Another female came in closer with towels for the babe when he was born.

Titan saw the midwife taking a deep breath from the corner of his eye, before she quickly made the incision on the lower part of Violet’s belly. Slicing through the skin and muscle she worked quickly before Violet’s body tried to heal itself from the injury. With sure and strong movements she cut into the sac where the child was and pulled him out unceremoniously and plopped him onto the waiting hands, with the towels, of the other midwife.

Quickly she began to use a waxed thread to stitch up the cut she had opened on Violet and when done she pulled back. “She will hurt a lot until her body has healed her completely, my Lord. Don’t let her out of the bed until she has completed the healing process.” Standing with bloodied hands she smiled. “Your son.” She looked to the child. “We will let you move him where you want him and then move your wife so we can change her bedding. After that, my Lord, you need to take blood so that you can feed your wife. She will need it.”

Nodding to the woman Titan kept the eye contact with Violet as he lifted her into his arms and settled her in the chaise to one side. Backing up he carefully maneuvered to lift his son before going back to his Lady wife, the boy cradled close to him even as he slowly began to bring Violet up and out of the trance. “Nice and slow, love, deep breath in and out,” he whispered. “I want you to come awake now, love, but do not move. There will be pain, you will want to shift, to move, but you must not. Do you understand?” he asked, holding the tiny quaking form of their son where she’d see him upon waking.

Very slowly Violet came out of the trance. Several things hit her all at once. The pain, it was burning and intense, but more than that was their son who looked at her through his father’s eyes. She felt herself sniff and then sob. “He’s perfect,” she whispered finally and wanted to hold him, wanted to touch him but every movement she made hurt so she simply lay there, waiting.

“He looks just like his mother,” Titan said with a smile as he touched her cheek. “I know you’re not comfortable right now, love. They are just cleaning up the bed and then we will lay you back in there and get you all settled. And then you can hold our boy here,” he added looking down to the wide eyes that were all his. “He’s beautiful, Violet,” he whispered, peeking to her. “You were amazing, love.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” She leaned heavily against him and smiled as she looked into the face that was their child. “He’s so big.” He was large, for a newborn that was. “But he’s so very perfect, Titan. We did really well with him, didn’t we?”

“He’s only going to get larger, love,” he pointed out softly to her as he kissed her hair lightly. “If my ancestors are anything to go by, he’s going to be at least my height and breadth. But he is perfect. We did brilliantly, my Lady wife. He will grow large and strong and with your influence he will be a better man than I ever was.”

“I don’t know about that, Titan.” She smiled as she looked up at him. “He will be a wonderful man because he will have the both of us in his life, Titan. He will be a wonderful man because he will have not just me, but you as well.”

“If you say so, love,” he told her quietly, kissing her gently. Brushing his fingers down her cheek he looked up as the midwives stepped back from the freshly made bed. Passing their son to one with some concern Titan eased Violet up in his arms.

Violet hissed in pain as he moved her, her eyes clenched tight and gripped at his shirt tightly in her fist.

“I know, baby,” he whispered at her sound of pain. “Slow, even breaths, love, not too deep or you’ll really hurt,” he warned as he moved quickly but smoothly to the bed. Easing her down on the cool and crisp sheets he pulled up on her gown. “Let’s get this off of you so you’ll be comfortable.”

She nodded and bit her lip. “Can you send them all away please?” she asked and clenched her hands on his chest, her eyes darting past him and then back. “I just want some time alone with you and our son, please?”

“I will, love,” he promised as he got the gown bunched at her waist and covered her with the sheet. Turning he took the baby from the woman and thanking them all, got them out of the room quickly. Locking the door he moved back the bed with his son. “Here’s Mommy,” he murmured as he laid his son on the bed. “Off with this,” he said to Violet and pulled the dressing gown off of her.

“Hello, handsome.” She smiled, clearly instantly enamored with their son. “He looks just like you, Titan, only smaller. But he is most certainly not a tiny or petite child by any stretch. I love you, too, little man,” she whispered to their child. “He loves you, too, Daddy.” She passed on the message, one from their child obviously, to Titan as he stood over them protectively.

Lifting a brow Titan tossed her soiled dressing gown to the bathing chamber where it could not mar anything but the large floor tiles. Sliding into the bed, a light pair of pants and shirt his only clothing, he lifted their son and settled him on his chest as he lay on his back at her side. “Is he still talking to you?” Titan asked out of curiosity never having known of this aspect before.

“Yes, it’s really strange but he’s still talking to me and brushing me with emotions more than when in the womb.” Their son struggled to look up at him. “He’s hungry but doesn’t want to leave the warmth of you now that you are near. I can’t blame him for that either. I know it’s hard for me to leave your arms as well, husband.”

Smiling faintly Titan shifted his son. “Well he should feed first and then he can come back to keep me company I think.” Lifting the large baby up he moved to a semi-sitting position with the pillows at his back and helping Violet up, laid their son in her arms. Wrapping his arms around her he helped with the weight of the baby so it didn’t do her any harm.

Leaning into her husband Violet smiled as she watched their son quickly latching on and then snorting like a piglet as he began to feed quickly, hungrily. Shaky fingers smoothed over the light down hair that covered his head and a smile broke her lips. “Thank you, Titan, for giving me our son, for giving me a life outside of what was thrust on me.” She looked up with tears shimmering. “And for loving me when you had no reason to.”

Cupping her cheek he brushed at a tear with a thumb and then, dropping a light kiss on her lips he smiled in return. “I had all the reason in the world to love you, Violet, and I’m all the more glad that you let me into your life. If you had not we would not be here now and I shudder to think just where we might each be.”

“It would not be a very pretty place at all,” she said simply and sighed. “But we are here, we are one, and we are together. Nothing and no one will ever come between us.”

“They’d never dare,” he teased with a smile. “You would beat them silly I should think.” Stroking her cheek lightly he looked down when their son snorted. “Have you chosen a name for this proud lad?” he asked softly.

“I was thinking Delfan for my father,” she asked more than spoke. “A man I never knew because my mother killed him for trying to get me away from the Oracle Temple. What would you think, Titan?”

“I like it,” he said, kissing her temple. “I think that Delfan is the perfect name and a great honor for our baby boy. He will be carrying a generation past into the future so that it is never forgotten,” he murmured. “Good choice, my Lady love.”

“Thank you, Titan.” She leaned into him and grinned. “Our next son will be TJ, Titan Junior.” She looked up mischievously at him. “So we will have to work hard on creating him. I’ve decided and that’s all that matters with that.”

Groaning he laid his forehead on her shoulder. “If I didn’t love you so much I’d have to hate you for that,” he murmured. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder he lightly rubbed his chin to her skin. “You are a very mean female. Have I mentioned that?” he asked, nipping at her skin.

Snickering she shook her head. “Well, what is it that you want to hate me for? The fact that I want a Titan Junior or the fact that I mention that I want to practice lots and lots?”

“The Junior part,” he told her, giving her a slight squeeze. “Never for the practice. I will never mind practicing making babies with you,” he said with a smile. “Especially since we’ll have about a century before you will be fertile enough to have another, we can get in a lot of practice.”

“Oh I love how that sounds. I would love to be able to have a whole century or so to practice making babies with you. It might be long enough to get it just about right to make a little girl maybe?” She turned up to look at him and smiled. “But he’s so perfect, Titan.”

“I approve of the little girl,” he said with a grin to her. “That way I know what her name won’t be.” He chuckled slightly. Pressing a kiss to her cheek he looked to their son. “He is very cute,” he agreed. “Small, but I’m sure he will grow with time.”

“Her name will be Titatianna.” She smirked and turned her attention back to their son. “He is, isn’t he? But he will grow. We will give him all that he needs.” Looking up she added, “If he had been any larger I’m sure that I wouldn’t have been able to carry him as long as I did, Titan. I’m not an overly large woman, but he’s a very big baby, for a newborn.”

“Males of our species are a little on the large size at birth,” he murmured, wondering if he should have mentioned that fact earlier. “Females are usually two thirds the size, most likely an easier birth.”

“You could have told me that.” She grumbled good-naturedly as she looked down at their son. “Now Daddy tells Mommy that having a little boy would hurt more than a little girl. It’s okay though, we will let him change the first nappies and that will teach him.”

Chuckling softly he kissed her cheek. “I have a feeling that will be a fitting punishment for what Mommy sees as Daddy having wronged her.” He blinked in the next moment. “I can’t believe I just referred to myself in the third person, I have reached an all-time low I believe.”

Violet grinned. “Yep, it’s called getting into the groove of being a daddy.” There was a pause followed with, “We are going to be the major parts in his life, aren’t we? I mean from all I ‘learned’ most children are shuttled off to school almost from birth. We aren’t doing that, right?” If he said they were they would seriously have to have a long chat because she wasn’t about to give up their son, not this soon.

Frowning he shifted so she could see his face and his hers. “Males do not begin their schooling until they turn twelve, Violet. And even then it is only part of the time until they are a quarter century which is when they enter the Academy and begin the real training for their adult years.”

She felt better and nodded. “I was worried. I don’t want strangers raising our son. I know that’s a strange idea for so many but I think I have to demand that we are always a part of our children’s lives.”

“And we will be, love,” he said softly to her. “We will always be a part of their lives. We will guide them, help them grow, and we will encourage them to be whoever they wish to be.”

“Good, I want to be able to be a part of their lives, Titan. I need to be a part of their lives and I know that you will as well.” She grinned as she added, “I know that to the world you will have to hold back your emotions but I will always know how you’re feeling.”

“And you should, little one. You are my woman, my wife, my soul tie,” he said quietly. “I think he’s done, darling. You should give him a burp before his little head blows off.”

Stroking her son’s head lightly she nodded. “Thank you, Titan, but I think that you need to burp him because Mommy is feeling incredibly sore and tired.” Just shifting made her whole body hurt and she knew that holding the fifteen-plus-pound baby would be a very bad idea.

Moving slightly he lifted their son up into his arms and, bracing the boy to his chest, he rubbed the little back softly. “I’m sorry you’re in so much pain, love.” He leaned his head to Delfan’s gently as he rocked the boy and sat watching her. “What are you thinking, love?” he asked with a half smile, curiosity clear in his tone.

“Just looking at the two most handsome and wonderful men that I ever could have dreamed of. I’m looking at the man I love more than life itself holding our child. A child we created on our first night together, a child that will carry on.” She paused as memory hit her. “Oh god.” She breathed and reached out to touch their son’s back lightly. “He’s going to be the first male Seer. When Mother finds out…” She swallowed. “It was her seeing his birth that had her sending me away into hell where she hoped I would die.” Because with Delfan began the fall of the Syndicate.

Lifting a brow at her words he looked down to their son as he let out a burp and a sigh as he settled his head to Titan’s shoulder. “Are you sure, love?” he asked, looking back to her. When she nodded he smiled slightly. “What does that mean for us, Violet, for him?” he asked in concern.

“It means he has to learn quickly. If I’m recalling the vision right he will begin to see before he can walk. We protect him, teach him, and help him,” she whispered and felt her gaze moving back to Titan. “When he’s an adult, he will find a woman he cares for, not his soul tie though. She will be killed before him.” She was living in the vision now as she spoke, her eyes taking on the opaque coloring. “His soul tie will help him. She will heal his emotional pain not only with ability but her love.” She smiled. “It will be pure, simple. But the Syndicate will come for her.” She bit her lip and frowned. “And Delfan with the help of others will take the Syndicate rule down.” She saw explosions, a woman in silver, a man in black. So many standing in line, connected but not really. “I don’t know them, but it begins with him and Mother knows it.”

Watching her as she slid into the vision Titan felt a chill slide down his spine. Swallowing hard he shifted to lay down at her side pulling the blankets up over them both as he wrapped his arm around her, his free hand holding their son to his chest. Pressing a kiss to her forehead Titan breathed her in. “We will protect him,” he promised her, “and gods help anyone that ever tries to do him harm.”

“Because we will have no mercy on any who try to do him harm,” she agreed and moved in closer, her head coming to rest on Titan’s shoulder. “I’m scared.” Squeezing her closer he held onto her. “I know, love, I am, too,” he whispered, fully understanding what she was referring to. It wasn’t a fear for themselves but a fear for their child, their son. “We’ll keep him safe,” he said again in a soft voice. “Sleep, we all need to get some rest for whatever might come our way.”

“Double our guards?” she asked quietly even as she closed her eyes. “I trust you when we are all here close like this, but if you’re not here…”

“I’m not leaving you or Delfan alone, love,” he said softly. “If I have to go off world you are coming with me,” he told her. There were no options. He was not leaving them to the whims of fate. “If we have to be separated, I will make sure that there are so many surrounding you not even the smallest of insects could possibly get close.”

“Thank you. Titan,” she whispered and sighed. “I know I’m being paranoid but I don’t want to take any chances with our son. I never want to take any sort of chance with him.” She sighed. “If Mother doesn’t know yet, I’m sure she will soon know that he has come into the world. The first male Seer ever in my line and the first ever among the Vampire race.”

“You are not paranoid, love. You are as a mother should be, honey, protective and concerned about your child’s welfare,” he said quietly against her hair. “All you ever have to do is ask and I will ensure you have everything you deem necessary to protect our son.”

“I want weapons.” She muttered, “Because I’m not just protecting him but you, too. I would feel better with laser guns and other small weaponry.” Leaning up and touching his cheek she smiled. “Because I love you, Titan, and I don’t want you hurt either.”

“In the closet behind the framed image of my vessel is the weapons safe,” he told her. “Your prints are already encoded into it, love, everything is loaded and on safety so you won’t waste time checking if you’re in a firefight.”

“Thank you.” She nestled back into him once more and sighed. “You are always one step ahead of me aren’t you?” She grumbled, but didn’t really mean it. “Do you need to do anything for you, Titan? Shower, sleep, food, blood?”

“I’ve learned to be at least one step ahead of you.” He smiled slightly, stroking his fingers over Delfan’s back. “I find it’s better for my developing heart condition.” He nudged her gently. “For right now I just need sleep, food, and blood will be later.”

“All right, then go and put our son in the bassinette beside the bed and then come back and hold me. I wanna sleep with you, Titan, so that when it comes time for the midnight feeding, I will hopefully be awake.”

“Yes,” he chuckled softly, and rolling carefully from the bed he went to the bassinette and laid his son down. Stroking back the downy soft hair he wheeled the bassinette closer to the side of the bed and then rejoined Violet. Wrapping his arms around her he turned into her as he covered them both up. “Sleep, honey, all too soon he’s going to be awake and wanting you.”

“All right,” Violet mumbled against his chest and gave a shuddering sigh. “Wake me if I don’t hear him.”

“I’ll be the one pushing you out of bed with the large foot to your bottom,” he told her with a hint of a smile as he cradled her close. “You won’t really realize it until the sudden stop at hitting the floor, but you can assume that’s how you ended up there.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Somehow I have a feeling that won’t be happening, sweetheart. Somehow I have a feeling that you will get him and bring him to me.” She yawned again. “No more talk. Sleep with me, Titan?” Her breath caressed his chest as she spoke.

Nodding against her hair he rested his cheek to the crown of her head and closed his eyes. Just that quickly sleep took him under and left him resting in peace with his wife held close to his heart.

Chapter Twenty

She heard Delfan before Titan did. Instead of making him get up she slipped out of the bed and grimaced in pain but continued on to the side of their son. “Hello, little man.” She touched his belly and smiled as Delfan looked up at her and batted his big brown eyes at her. “Is my handsome man hungry?” She wanted to reach in and pick him up but the pain of the cut on her lower belly was keeping her from doing just that. “We will wait for Daddy to wake up, little man, all right?”

“He is awake,” Titan mumbled behind her as he moved closer to her, his heat warming her. “Go and lay down, love. You shouldn’t be moving yet, Violet.” Taking her hand he nudged her toward the bed. “Go, I’ll get the little noisy one and we’ll join you,” he said. He waited until she was at the bed before picking up Delfan and carrying him to the bed.

Violet lay back and adjusted the pillows at her back before leaning back and baring her breast, pulling Titan’s pillow onto her lap and smiled. “I’m ready, sweetheart.”

“Don’t think I didn’t see you stealing my pillow,” he commented, easing down at her side. Laying their son on the stolen pillow he shifted and laid his head to her leg while she fed Delfan.

“This is nicer anyway, Titan.” She looked down at their son who was looking up at her with an intense gaze. “This is far nicer, to have you laying on my leg and our son in my lap. Yep, I definitely like this far better than the alternative.”

Grunting softly at her he let out a yawn and rubbed his cheek to her leg. The soft sounds of their son feeding and the gentle words that Violet spoke to Delfan seemed to relax Titan.

Delfan fed for a long while until he let her breast go. When it was over she raised him to her shoulder and rubbed his back to get the large belch from him. “Good job, little man.” Looking at her husband she smiled. “Come take your pillow, sweetheart, so that you can rest some more.”

Shifting he swiped his pillow back and flopped onto his side next to her, not even opening his eyes. He was acting a little cranky. Without enough sleep it was understandable and with the last week of events, he’d been getting nearly none at all. “You going to keep him with us or lay him back in his basket?” he asked in a muffled tone, his face practically buried in the pillow.

“I think keep him with us.” Since Titan was so tired and she was so sore, moving their son would be an impossible task. “Rest, Titan, your son is sleeping once more and I’m feeling more than a little ready for sleep myself.” She yawned. “I love you, husband.”

“Love you, too, Violet,” he murmured, reaching out and running his finger up her leg. “Do you need me to take him?” he asked her softly.

“I’m not going to ask you to get out of bed, Titan.” She rubbed her cheek against their son’s head. “Hopefully I will heal fairly quickly so that you aren’t the only one who is carrying him around all the time.”

“You know I will if you need me to, love,” he said as he shifted and cracked open an eye to look at her. “Come here, Violet, come down here with our boy and sleep with me for a while.”

Wiggling down in the bed and crying out she stilled. “All right, I need you to take him so that I can settle down in bed with you.” She had torn something in the stupid move and it was now hurting, a lot.

Quickly alert, Titan shifted and took Delfan. “What’s wrong, Violet?” he asked softly, touching her cheek as he held their son to his chest. “Talk to me, baby,” he demanded as he pulled her into him.

“I think I made something tear when I tried to move him.” She had tears falling. “Oh god it hurts, Titan, a lot.” She gasped and closed her eyes against the pain. “I might need the doctor.” She hated to tell him that but it was the truth. She hurt something inside of herself, badly.

“Oh gods,” he breathed out. “I’m so sorry, Violet,” he whispered, wrapping his arm around her to pull her slowly into a better position. “If I’d only taken him, gods I’m so sorry,” he said again, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Stay put, I’m sending a guard for the doctor right now. Don’t move an inch,” he told her and, moving quickly with Delfan in his arms, he ran to the door calling for a guard. He yelled out orders and turned back to face her

Rushing back to her he eased onto the bed careful not to jar her too much. “He’s going for the doctor, love,” he whispered softly as he cradled Delfan close, looking afraid. “Just breathe slowly love,” he whispered. “Don’t move, baby.”

Tears were falling down her cheeks. “Not gonna,” she whispered, her voice filled with pain, and gripped the sheets. “This isn’t your fault, Titan, so don’t even go there. I know your mind and it’s not your fault.”

Leaning into her he laid Delfan on the bed between them, sheltering his little body with his. Pressing his lips to her cheek he brushed them back and forth. “Not your fault, I should have moved to help you. I knew you were in pain,” he said softly. “Keep breathing slowly, love, no more tears, baby. You can’t get upset. You need to relax and crying is not going to help. Look at me, Vi,” he said, leaning back a little. “No more tears, love, please.”

“I’m trying, Titan,” she grumbled and looked into his eyes. “I just wish this didn’t hurt so bloody bad.” She breathed in and out and then finally reached out and touched Delfan’s head gently. Their son was beginning to struggle, to become upset because he could feel his father’s and mother’s upset. “Keep Delfan from being upset, please?”

“He knows you’re upset, love. He’s still got that tie to you, love,” he whispered against her cheek as took a deep breath. Shifting slightly he stroked Delfan’s chest lightly in small circles as he stared down at his son. Leaning down he kissed Delfan’s forehead. “It’s okay, little man, everything is going to be okay.”

Dr. Bertram had been the closest doctor in the area when the call went out. He had been visiting Xandra and Andries, Lord and Lady Mauricio and their new twins. He had just left when the comm buzzed and he entered with his calm efficiency that he showed with everything. “Hello, I am Dr. Bertram. I was visiting friends when the call for help went out. Can I be of assistance, my Lord?” he asked when the guards showed him into the room where the woman was weeping and the Lord was obviously upset.

Looking up Titan nodded. “My Lady wife just gave birth yesterday. She was holding our son and went to move and pulled something. She’s in extreme pain,” he said quickly as he shifted and covered Violet better as he lifted Delfan into his arms as he sat up, his free hand taking hers.

Dr. Bertram moved a little closer. “And the birth, was it a normal birth or was it one where the child had to be taken?”

“He had to be taken.” It was Violet who spoke through clear pain. “He was too big and wouldn’t come out.”

Lifting her hand Titan kissed her fingers and gave it a soft squeeze. “He was being a mite stubborn and the midwife made the choice quickly. It was better for them both but…” He trailed off, knowing the doctor would understand his worry about the procedure.

“She should have been taken to medical since it wasn’t a doctor who did it,” Bertram said simply. “My Lord, I think your wife needs to go to medical. If she is bleeding internally…” Well Titan had been in enough battles to know what that meant. “I have a flyer ready, my Lord, or we can take yours but she needs to go, now.”

Violet cried and shook her head. “Oh god, Titan.” She squeezed his fingers tightly as she spoke.

Staring at the man Titan nodded. “Give me a moment to dress,” he said softly. Shifting he laid Delfan at her side. “It will be fine, love,” he whispered to her, leaning close. Kissing her cheek gently he moved quickly then and pulled on clothing fast. When he was dressed he went back to the bed and picked up Delfan. He wrapped him up warmly in a blanket.

Bertram pulled out his personal communications device. “I am going to arrange a private room for her and make sure that an operating suite is ready for when we get there. I’m sorry, my Lord, but it would be best if I take her immediately into surgery so that I can take care of her as quickly as possible.”

Grinding his teeth together Titan nodded as he held Delfan close to him and looked to Violet. “I’ll be close, love, I promise you,” he whispered, reaching out to stroke her cheek. He needed to touch her, needed to know she was there and alive, that she would be safe.

Violet nodded and tears rolled down her cheeks again. “Delfan is scared, Titan. I don’t know how he will react when Doctor Bertram puts me under for the surgery. Are you sure that you will be all right with him?” she asked softly in concern.

“No, love, but we will muddle through and we will both be waiting anxiously for you,” he told her honestly, not about to lie to her now or ever about anything in their lives. Sitting down at her side again he leaned in and rested his cheek to hers. “I’m terrified, Vi,” he whispered for her ears only.

She nodded. “Me, too,” she whispered and bit her lip. “I’m so afraid. Don’t give up on me. I’m not leaving you but he’s going to fix me, all right?”

Nodding against her cheek he breathed her in. “I’m never giving you up,” he whispered.

Dr. Bertram cleared his throat. “My Lord, we need to go. Would you like to hand your son over and I will carry him and you take your wife or would you like me to carry her while you hold your son?”

Lifting his head he looked to the doctor and then his son and then Violet. He didn’t want the man to touch either of them, but more so Violet. “I’ll carry Violet,” he said and, hesitantly, passed his son to the man, his eyes watchful. Shifting, he gently picked up Violet and winced at her sharp inhale. “I’m sorry, Violet,” he whispered as he gave her a moment to catch her breath.

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Don’t be, love. Just get us there and we will be all right,” she whispered.

Dr. Bertram spoke to Delfan as he carried the lad. “You have a couple of neighbors that I have a feeling you will become fast friends with. There are several new babies in this general area but the ones you’re going to find yourself befriending are the Mauricio twins. They are wonderful little kids.” Bertram paused and grinned. “But you need to know that their mother, she is a force of nature so just go with it and it will be fine.” He moved toward his flyer and paused. “I will take good care of your mother, lad, I promise you.” He watched as the hatch released and to Titan said, “There is a wooden board on the back bed, strap your Lady wife on that so that when we arrive at medical we won’t have to hurt her any more than necessary.”

Nodding Titan ducked into the flyer and he laid her down on the board. Strapping her down he crouched by her side as he did up each of the straps. Resting a hand over her forehead he stared into her eyes. “I love you,” he whispered softly to her.

“I love you, too, Titan,” she whispered and closed her eyes.

“My Lord, your son.” Bertram offered Titan his son back knowing that the man needed to have both his wife and his son close so that he could watch over and protect them. “I will have us in medical in three minutes, my Lord. Hold tight to them,” he added as he moved from the family and slipped into his seat. Taking off he made the call that he was making an emergency flight in and was assured everything was ready for them and that medics were waiting in emergency flight for them.

Holding Delfan so that he could see his mother Titan rested his head to her arm needing the contact with her. He was starting to feel the beginning edges of panic hitting him and he was having to fight it down. He hated that she was hurting and that he couldn’t do anything to help her. She was suffering and he was practically useless.

Four minutes later a litter of people were at the hatch. “My Lord,” Bertram said, “I need you and your son to move so that we can bring your wife into surgery. This is Robin and he will show you where you can wait for me to come with news. Trust me, my Lord, I will protect her and care for her as I would my own wife.”

Nodding Titan got up and sighed as he touched his wife’s cheek. “Do whatever is necessary, Doctor,” he said softly before he leaned in and kissed Violet. “I love you, Vi,” he whispered to her softly. “We’ll be waiting for you, darling, be safe.” Shifting he moved away and stood watching as they took his wife, his heart a tight knot in his chest.

Chapter Twenty-One

Two hours later Dr. Bertram came into the holding room and held out a small bottle. “Before we put her under I had one of the female nurses express milk for him. This is one of four bottles for your little one.” He took a seat and watched them. “She is in recovery, my Lord. She’s doing well but I need to talk to you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She will be recovering for at least two weeks, my Lord. There can be no sexual activity in that time and I am going to confine her to her bed on a limited basis for three weeks. If she needs to go shower or use the facilities she will need to be carried if you can convince her. I have a feeling though she will want to be up and walking sooner than later. My wife would be the same way, stubborn through and through. But I will insist she rest as much as possible. She should avoid too much walking for the first week.”

There was a pause before the doctor continued. “My Lord, the midwife who cut into your wife, where might she be found? Is she a part of your household? How long have you known her?” He saw the anger blooming at the questions. “It was purposeful, my Lord, she was stitched inside with silver thread.” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “I’m not…” Bertram paused and sighed. “I’m not sure if your Lady wife will ever be able to become pregnant again, my Lord. The woman did serious damage to her internally and there is an infection that set in.”

Titan felt the rage punch through him even though he kept it tamped down carefully as he fed his son. “She was brought in by the other female that was recommended. I did not know her, barely spoke with her, but the first woman I did know at least in passing. I know where the first can be found but not the additional female. You would need to question the first.” Looking down at Delfan he lifted his son and pressing a kiss to the half-sleeping baby’s cheek he looked back to the doctor. “When can I see her?” he asked quietly.

“As soon as we get your son settled in the nursery with a nurse and guards.” He said quietly, “Your personal guard arrived while I was in surgery. I stationed two of them outside your wife’s door and two outside of this door. I hope you don’t mind my assumptions? I will take the name of the woman and send it to the constable. They need to be brought to justice for attempting to kill your Lady wife, my Lord.” Bertram stood. “Your son can’t go in there, my Lord. I’m very sorry but it’s just not possible yet.” He sighed. “And we will need to begin him on milk supplements. Your wife won’t be able to feed your son. I’m so sorry. Come though, your wife needs you, my Lord. You need to take some blood so that when she wakes you can feed her. Your blood will be far better for her than any we have in store here.”

Nodding Titan looked to the man. “Would you give me a few moments. I need to get this all sorted in my head before I see her. I also want to ensure that he finishes his bottle,” he said, looking to Delfan.

When the doctor left Titan stood and walked to the windows to stare out at the city. “I don’t know what to do, Delfan,” he whispered to his son, his emotions in complete and total turmoil. “She is going to be so sad, baby, and I’m having enough troubles with my own emotions. How do I help her?” he asked softly. Looking down at the intense eyes of the newborn Titan shook his head. “I wish you could answer me. Daddy needs a lot of help here, my boy.”

Delfan just blinked up at his father, unable to give him anything other than the suckling he did of the bottle. Smiling down at his son Titan lifted him and pressed a kiss to his little forehead. “We’ll figure it out, my boy, I promise,” he murmured softly. Looking into those too-clear and too-old eyes Titan let out a sigh. “I hate to let you out of my sight, Delfan, so you have to promise no big leaps in learning while I’m with your mother. If I come out and you are walking and talking we shall be having a rough time of it, my son.”

Turning from the windows he began to walk slowly across the room and out into the hall to find the doctor. “I’m going to go and see her, Delfan,” he murmured softly as he walked. “I want you to be good for the ones watching you. I will try not to be too long, but I need to be with her, son, just as much as I need to be with you. I’m feeling torn, Delfan,” he said quietly as he stopped before the doctor.

Bertram nodded. “I can only imagine, my Lord.” He nodded to the nurse behind him. “This is my wife.” He smiled at her and there was true love there in the old Vampire’s eyes. “She is going to be the one with your son, my Lord. Your guards will be there present at all times, I promise.” He looked at the guards behind Delinda, his wife. “They are your guards, is that correct?” he asked the lord. “As soon as your Lady wife is out of the isolation recovery your son can come and sleep there with the two of you. Give her twelve hours at least though, my Lord.” For her to need as much time as that it was a clear sign to Titan just how bad Violet truly was.

Nodding to his men he passed Delfan over to the doctor’s wife. “Talk to him please,” he murmured to her softly. “He likes the sound of people’s voices,” he added as she took him. Stroking his fingers down his son’s cheek lightly he smiled slightly. “I’ll be in to see him as soon as I can,” he told her before stepping back and giving a look to his men.

Looking to the doctor he waited to be taken to his wife, his mind churning as to what to tell her about all that was going on. He wasn’t sure if he should tell her anything, right away. “Has she been awake at all?” he asked Betram as they moved down the hall. “Does she know anything of what has been happening with her?”

“She is only just waking and no, so far I haven’t told her anything and she shouldn’t be told of anything for a small time, my Lord. Let her body heal before we have to break her heart. My wife and I have three children, two grandchildren, and one great grandchild. He is in good hands, my Lord, I promise.”

Titan didn’t say anything. He just made a small noise in his throat as he stood in front of the door. “I have never lied to my wife,” he murmured quietly. “She’ll know as soon as she sees me that something is wrong and I can’t keep anything from her. I’ll try to keep it from her for a time, but she’ll know sooner rather than later.”

“I’m not asking you to lie to her. If she asks and you need to tell her I will stand by that choice. If you want to wait and have me tell her I will as well.”

“We’ll see how she is doing and what she asks,” Titan said quietly lifting his hand and placing it to the door. “Thank you for all you’ve done, Doctor.” He bowed his head slightly and went into the room. Walking to the bed he pulled a stool close to her bedside. Sitting he very carefully lifted her hand into his, his thumb stroking lightly over her knuckles as he closed his eyes and took a steadying breath.

Her eyes opened and were clouded with the medication and a small haze of pain. Smiling she gave his hand a weak squeeze. “Hello. See, all better now,” she whispered in a rough-sounding tone.

Smiling for her he nodded as he fought the need to break down. “Yes, love,” he whispered softly. Reaching out with his other hand he stroked his hand over her hair. “Sleep for now, Vi. You need to let all the drugs work through your system.”

“Get into bed with me and hold me?” she asked as she let her lids flutter closed. “I need to feel you holding me and know that I’m safe, that our son is safe.” She yawned slightly. “I love you, Titan.”

Frowning he nodded and, with a glance over his shoulder, he stood and removing his jacket and boots he went around the bed. Sliding in behind her, he moved very carefully and slowly not wanting to jar her. Wrapping his arms around her he let her do any moving from that point on. He was too close and he really hated causing her pain.

She moved over slightly and wiggled in closer to him. Once her head was on his shoulder and leg between his she sighed. “Much better. I love you.” She pressed a kiss to the side of his neck and nuzzled there for a moment before the soft slow breathing took over as she fell asleep.

“I love you, too, Violet,” he whispered softly and closed his eyes. Breathing her in slowly he felt his body relax slightly. It was right that he held her in that moment. If only his heart wasn’t aching so much, but that was a worry for later. Letting the weight of her on his shoulder soothe him he slid into sleep with her but stayed in the upper levels. He would not leave her unprotected.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“I need to get up and move, Titan. I’ve been in this bed for nearly twenty-four hours and I’m ready to move. I’m ready to see our son.” She complained once more. “Are you sure that he is all right? He’s eating enough?” Dr. Bertram had been in many hours ago and explained to her that she wouldn’t be able to feed him because of the drugs in her system. She felt there was more but he wouldn’t give her more than that, oh and the big bomb, that he couldn’t come in until the doctor was sure that most of the infection had died down. “I miss him, Titan, so much.”

“I know, love,” he said, looking to her as he walked to the bedside. He was still for a long moment before he held out his hands to her. “Come on, love. We’ll get you covered up and then we can go and pick up Delfan. I’ll take any grief if Dr. Bertram comes pecking at us. Delfan is just fine. The doctor’s wife has been keeping him happy, fed, and thankfully changed and clean.” Titan wrinkled his nose. “Our men are with them and keeping watch over him. He’s as happy as he can be but he misses you, love.”

She didn’t even hesitate. She lifted her hands to Titan. “Then she is a blessing. How much longer will I be here?” she asked even as she felt the pain of simply moving. “I thought that I was supposed to heal quickly as a Vampire, Titan. Why do I still hurt so badly?”

“There was a lot of drugs still in your system, love,” he told her as he helped her slowly from the bed, allowing her move at her own pace. “The drugs that slow your healing for operations also slow your healing abilities after you are out. It will take you some time to push them through and out,” he said once she was standing. Collecting a long robe he slipped it around her and nudged a pair of slippers over with his foot. “Once you take enough blood you will start to feel better. It will help push the drugs out faster.”

She snorted and shook her head. “Aren’t you hurting enough from how much you have been giving me, Titan? All right, let’s try this.”

“I’ve been taking in nearly double what you’ve been taking from me, Vi. I’m fine, love,” he said softly. Wrapping his arm around her he gently led her along to the hall. Once outside the guards all straightened and gave her bows of respect. Moving nice and slow with her, he again let her set the pace since she was the one in pain.

She had to stop halfway to the nursery and simply breathe for several minutes before she could carry on. Finally when they reached the nursery she looked into the glass room and saw Delfan laying there on his back playing with a little ball and smiled. “Hello, my little love,” she whispered before Titan moved them into the room. Seeing the rocking chair she said, “How about I have a seat and you give me a pillow to protect my belly and then bring me our son?”

“Good plan,” he said and when she was in front of the chair he stepped around before her to give her his hands to use to maintain her balance as she eased down. When she was sitting he handed her a plump pillow and then went to pick up his son. “Hello, Delfan,” he said softly to their son as he crouched and picked him up. Walking to Violet he smiled. “Look who’s here to see you, my son.”

Delfan’s feet began to kick as he looked at his mother and began to try to reach for her with his mind and his hands. “Hello, my little man,” Violet whispered with a smile as she felt their son’s mind touching hers. “Oh sweetie, I’ve missed you, too,” she said with tears in her eyes as Titan eased him down into her lap. “God, honey, you feel heavier so you must not be missing any meals.”

“No, he’s been conning everyone and their mothers to feed him,” Titan assured her as he knelt at the side of the rocker. “He’s been taking as many bottles as he can. Our son is a little glutton I think,” he told her with a half smile.

“He’s just a growing boy,” Violet corrected and stroked her fingers over his lips, smiling as he laughed and kicked even more. She winced as he placed a well-dealt blow and closed her eyes. “No kicking Mommy, little man. She hurts enough and has enough bruises as is.”

“Shift him a little, Violet,” he suggested and helped her to do just that so his little feet weren’t able to hit her again. “He’s just so excited to see you again.” Looking to her he smiled. “I know the feeling. We were worried about you, love, and I don’t think your son was taking it well at all.”

“We won’t be parted again, Delfan,” she promised and nuzzled close to her son, breathing in his fresh, clean baby scent and smiling. “Daddy and Mommy are taking you home as soon as we can.” She looked up at Titan. “How long until we can go home, Titan? I want to sleep in a real bed with you and have our son close so that I can feed…” She paused and felt the tears demanding freedom. “Feed him bottles.” She didn’t like it, not one small little bit. She didn’t like that she could no longer feed her son, but it made sense since whatever they gave her dried her milk up completely as well.

Reaching up he wiped at her cheek. “No tears, Violet,” he said softly to her. Shifting he moved his hand to his chest and rubbed at the ache there her tears brought on. “We can go home as soon as you can move about with as little pain as possible. You need to be able to move easily,” he told her softly.

“Now that is just unfair, Titan.” She grumbled and stroked her fingers over her son’s cheeks once more and smiled when his kicking little form grabbed her hand and began to nibble and suck on her fingers.

“Doctor Bertram wanted you to be able to stay until you can pick up and carry Delfan. I negotiated it down to moving freely,” he told her softly. Resting his arm to the arm of the chair he propped his chin on it and smiled at Delfan when the baby looked his way. “Be grateful, love, you could have been here for a solid month.”

“Oh lord, that would be bad.” She tickled her son’s belly and smiled when he let out a gut laugh. “I don’t want to miss any more time with him, Titan, and I want to be home for it.” She looked up at her husband. “Will you help me get up to speed so that I can move around freely?”

“You know I will, love. We’ll start working on your muscles when we get you back to bed, little exercises that will have the most impact. But you need to pay attention to your body, love. If you feel anything more than the mildest of pains you stop. Don’t explain, just stop and then we’ll figure out what caused the pain and work around and up to it.”

She nodded and smiled. “All right, thank you, Titan.” She nuzzled down against her son and winced with the movement of bending down. “And when we get back to bed”—she turned her full gaze on him—“you will tell me the truth of why I’m so weak, hurting so much and needing so much of your blood, won’t you?”

Watching her as she watched him, he nodded slowly. “If you wish,” he said softly. Letting out a slow sigh he lightly touched Delfan’s hair. “For now just enjoy the time you have with your son and then we will talk, love.”

“That sounds like a very good thing.” She nodded and looked down at Delfan. “Doesn’t it, my little man? Spending time with Mommy sound like a good idea to you?” she asked touching his lower lip while he blew spit bubbles and kicked happily.

Sitting back on his heels Titan watched as Violet and Delfan chatted together. Smiling softly at the picture they presented, it did his heart good to see them like this even as he felt a dread starting to come over him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Two and a half exhausting hours later Violet leaned against Titan just inside of her room and breathed him in. “Later will you go get him when he wakes and wheel him down here to be with us? I know the guard will protect him and the doctor’s wife will care for him, but that’s our job, Titan, our privilege.” She smiled up at him and sighed. “I love you so, Titan. Thank you for letting he and I have that time together to reconnect again.” Her thumb stroked over his lower lip. “Now, why don’t you and I get into bed so that you can tell me the bad news?”

Nodding he let out a sigh. He’d really been hoping she’d either be too tired to talk about it immediately or would have just forgotten it. “Into bed,” he told her quietly and led her there at her slow pace before helping her up into the bed and settling her in. Moving he climbed in with her and gave her a few minutes to settle down.

She laid her head on his chest and breathed him in. “I love these moments, Titan, you holding me. Even knowing something bad is coming, it doesn’t diminish the moments like this.” She closed her eyes and finally whispered, “I think I’m ready, Titan, tell me?”

“The midwife that was the one doing the surgery to bring Delfan into the world was sent, apparently, by your mother to ensure you died. She wants our son from what we’ve been able to determine,” he told her softly. “She used threads that were mainly silver in form to stitch you and it in turn gave you a poisoning of the blood and in your womb. The doctor had to put you in surgery fast to repair the damage,” he told her quietly. He was trying to work up to the really, really bad parts a little at a time, giving her a bit of time in between each to let her grow mildly accustomed before he continued on.

Violet had tears falling as she asked, “I hear a ‘but’ in there, Titan. He was able to get me into surgery and save my life, but…” She touched his chin with a finger as her gaze searched his face. “I need to know, Titan, please.”

“This is not for sure. He really won’t know until your body has healed completely but…” He paused and sighed. “He’s not sure you will ever be able to bear another child, Violet. He said the woman deliberately set out to harm you and ensure you couldn’t have another. It’s a fifty-fifty toss-up right now,” he said, pulling her closer as she really began to cry. “Love, it doesn’t matter to me. We have Delfan and you are alive. That is all that truly matters to me. As long as I have you and our son I am a happy man. Anything more is a blessing.”

There was some time of her sobbing and crying before she finally dried her face, on his shirt, and pulled back to look up at him. “No matter what we have our son. We have Delfan and if he is going to be our one and only I can live with that because he is perfect.”

“Yes, he is, my Lady love,” he said, pressing a kiss to each eyelid before he hugged her to him. “Our son is just as perfect as his mother and my wife which is truly humbling,” he told her. Kissing her lips gently he looked in her eyes as he pulled back. “We will take this one day at a time and we will let you heal properly and then we will find out together if we are to have more children. No matter what, Violet, you are not alone in this,” he promised.

“I know that I’m not. I know that what affects me affects you as well but it’s so very hard, Titan. It’s so hard to know that we might not ever have another child, a joy to bring into the world to give someone for Delfan to look after.” She felt the tears and wiped at them. “I love you, Titan, you’re right.” She nodded. “We will get through this. We will get through this and we will just simply live with life and what it gives us.”

Hugging her to him carefully he let out a shaky breath. “I love you, Violet. We are always together in anything we have in life.” Brushing a kiss to her cheek he settled with her. “Sleep for now and later I will collect our son so we can all be together.”

“I love you, too, Titan.” She snuggled in closer. “Don’t leave me while I sleep, please?” She was terrified of being alone now. She really shouldn’t have been afraid. She knew how to take care of herself but she was. “I’m scared, Titan.” She heard herself admitting, “Not only for the possibility that we might not have another child, but because of the fact that they were able to get in and so close.” She looked up. “Can you up the guards on our son? Only the doctor, his wife, us, and a very select few are allowed around him?”

“I brought in ten more, love, they are all with him with one outside our door,” he told her quietly. “He is safe. The hospital staff can’t even see him through the bodies. And, when I bring him in here, he’ll have us as well,” he reminded her softly. “Sleep, Violet, and I will be right here with you until you wake, but if I’m not, I will just be in the bathing room attending to business.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you for that, Titan, for knowing my needs before I have them.” She yawned again. “I love you.” She was hurting inside, aching and in pain, but she knew that she couldn’t allow the pain to get her down, not when it wasn’t positive that the worst was the definite outcome.

“I’m your soul tie. I should have at least a clue as to what you might need,” he said quietly. Settling down on the bed he gently eased her in closer, his hand stroking up and down her back slowly.

“Mmm, this is true.” Another yawn followed by a sigh. “And if you wake and I’m not here I will likely be in the same place.” Although they both knew that even with what she could do she wouldn’t be able to get out of his arms without him knowing about it.

“If you manage that then I obviously need the sleep and shall endeavor to roll over and go back to sleep,” he teased her softly. Tucking the blankets around her a little better he fell silent knowing that if he kept talking she’d stay awake to keep him company.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“I’m positive that I’m ready to leave. I have worked my ass off these last five days so that I can get out of here, go home, and raise my family. Doctor, I appreciate all that you have done, I swear I do. However, you know how hard this is. Knowing someone is out there hunting my son, me.”

“I know, Lady Violet. However, I also know that you will need more than just medical treatment.”

“I will be fine. I have my husband, I have my son. They are more than enough to get me over the what-ifs that might never happen,” she reminded him.

Looking to Titan the doctor sighed. “All right, take them home, my Lord, but I want her to have a full and complete checkup in six months.” He paused and added, “And no sexual intercourse for at least another forty-eight hours. Give an old man that much.”

Titan shot Violet a look and then gave a sincere and solemn look to the doctor. “I will do my best to keep her from jumping me at the first opportunity,” he told him quietly. “I will even do my best to avoid being trapped by her in any sort of compromising position.”

Violet snorted and laughed. “Yeah, not gonna happen if you keep it up there, mister.” She grumbled but knew the truth for what it was. She really was aching for his touch and needed to feel their skin touching from foot to face all over again. “Can we leave now, please?”

Chuckling softly he nodded. “Yes, love, we can go,” he said as he took his son from the doctor’s wife. Thanking them both he gave a hand to Violet so that she could get off the bed.

Once out in the hall he glanced to her. “Are you sure we should be going home?” he asked quietly. Wincing at the look she gave him, he chuckled. “All right, I had to ask, love. I worry about you, Vi, and I do not like the feeling in the least.”

Shaking her head Violet grinned. “I know that you do, Titan, and I appreciate that greatly because I worry for you as well. However, we need to go home.” She wanted to be home with Delfan and Titan, was more than ready to be out of the hospital and into their home where they could have safety, and not have to eat hospital food again. “Besides, I’m sure our staff is all but dancing in anticipation of the little lordling coming home.”

“I’m sure,” he murmured in agreement. He knew his guards had enjoyed having some time alone with their young Lord. Each had a chance to hold and get to know him. And all the men there were highly protective of both the babe and his mother. It had made Titan’s decision to put them on as their personal guards all the easier. Now, whether Violet let him live after he told her, that was an entirely different matter.

She wrapped her arm around his middle and squeezed. “I wish I could carry him.” She reached out to touch their son’s hand, who was watching everything with an intensity that was startling. When they paused at the doors to the lift Violet smiled sweetly up at him. “When were you going to tell me about the guards you have assigned to our son?” She didn’t yet realize he had assigned them to her as well.

“When you asked,” he told her with a grin. Kissing her lightly he pulled back to look in her eyes. “But only half of them are for Delfan, love,” he said, looking away and waiting for her too-intelligent mind to figure out just who the other half were for.

Her gaze narrowed but then ever so sweetly she said, “Really now? Who would have known that you needed guards to follow along with you as well? But it’s a very good thing. I don’t want you to be harmed in any way after all.” She grinned when one of the guards covered a snicker with a cough.

Titan shot the guard a quelling look before lifting a brow at her. “Not me, darling,” he told her. “I have my own who know better than to follow me, as long as they don’t want a bullet between the eyes.” He smiled slightly. “They are to keep you safe, love. You have someone that wants you and our son. I’m not taking any chances with your life or his so just stuff the complaints and protests.”

She wanted to argue, god help her she wanted to fuss and argue and scream, but he had her when he reminded her of the danger not only to her, but their son as well. Closing her lips tightly she frowned and sighed. Damn the man. She understood why he was assigning so many to her, but it still galled her to have to have them underfoot all the time. But she would survive. She knew she would.

Smiling slowly at the mulish look he kissed her gently. “I know it chafes, love, but I want years and years with you, Violet. They will ensure that we can have them together,” he murmured against her lips.

“I don’t have to like it,” she grumbled. “No offense, gentlemen,” she offered to the guards knowing they heard every word. “I don’t like having to have guards, it’s so unusual.” She sighed. “But you’re right.”

Chuckling at her grudging tone Titan lifted his head and hugged her close. “I know, love, and I promise not to hold it over your head…much,” he teased. When the lift doors opened he waited for the guards to check and then guided her into the lift.

She reached over and touched a sleeping Delfan’s head and sighed. “I wish I could carry him.” She had been given strict orders though. She was not to lift or carry her son for two months, two long and impossible months.

“I know, love,” he said softly, his eyes on her face. She knew she continued to complain about it over and over and they both knew that was her real problem with the restrictions. “The time will fly by and then you can hold him all you want, toting him everywhere you go.”

“It’s unnatural for a mother not to be able to pick up or carry her son.” She leaned against Titan and rested her hand against their sleeping son’s back. “I can hold him, but you have to bring him to me. I can’t get up with him or anything and it’s just…” There weren’t enough words to tell how hard, how horrible it was.

“Heartbreaking,” he said. At her jolt he kissed the top of her head. “What, did you think I don’t know how you are feeling, love?” he asked gently. “You are my soul tie. Of course I know how you are worrying and how you are pulling to get better faster.”

“I am trying.” She sighed and leaned against him as he held their son. “It will become better when we get home, darling. I will feel better when we are home, when we are able to sit together and hold our boy and make sure that he knows both his parents are here.”

“Of course he knows we’re both here, Violet. How can he not when he feels your love for him just as I feel your love for me in everything you do and say?” he asked softly. Rubbing her back gently he guided her out of the lift in the midst of the guards as they moved quickly out and to the flyer sitting waiting for them, another guard standing at the ready.

“I know, it’s just hard because I want to be able to hold him.” She paused and smiled. “I know, you sit and I will sit in your lap and you can put him into our laps and you can hold us both. How does that sound?”

“Like a brilliant plan,” he told her as he led her into the flyer. Passing Delfan to a guard he sat and let her take her seat in his lap before he accepted his son back. “Better?” he asked her softly as he kissed her neck.

She snuggled against him and adjusted Delfan in her arms happily. “Yes, thank you, Titan. This is so very much better, thank you so very much for not making me feel horrible for asking for this.”

“I could never do that to my soul tie,” he said softly, his words not exactly happy. “You are my heart, Violet, and anything that makes you happy keeps me happy. It is the way that things work,” he told, her nipping at her neck.

She shivered and smiled. “I know.” Her eyes closed as she felt the weight and heat of their sleeping son seeping into her and making her feel somewhat better. “This is nice.” Even with all the guards surrounding them it was nice to simply be there with him in that moment.

“Yes, it is,” he told her, resting his chin on her shoulder. Holding her close to him he let out a soft hum of sound, a happy sound.

Violet closed her eyes and yawned. “If I fall asleep, wake me when we get home?” She was sure the doctor slipped her something to “relax” her and she would have words with him later on it.

“You know I will,” he told her softly as he stroked her arm gently. “Sleep, love, your son is already out for the time of the trip. Enjoy this quiet moment and rest.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Titan.” She held their son as she walked through the house. “Look, he’s got his first tooth.” Their ten-month-old son laughed happily and watched everything. “Did you know he had gotten his first tooth?” she asked as she barged into his office.

Turning from the window he smiled at her as she came in beaming just as their son was. “Of course I did, love. He decided to use it on me this morning when we were having breakfast.” Moving to her side he kissed the top of Delfan’s head and then her lips, that one a lot slower and more leisurely.

Feeling her body swaying closer to him she found herself pressing against him before she pulled back. “I can’t believe our little man is getting his first teeth. He is growing up on us, Titan. That’s just not allowed,” she grumbled.

Chuckling softly at her he shook his head. “Sorry, love, but I think that it just happens with or without our permission,” he pointed out the obvious. “But he has a great many years yet, love, for you to show him just how a man should be and how he should act. His soul tie will greatly appreciate any and all advice you give to him.”

“Well we are already working on as much as we can and later will work on more.” She turned and smiled back at Titan. “Come walking with me?” she asked with a smile and as she walked away spoke to Delfan. “See you always need to be there for your soul tie. Even when you would rather do anything else, you should be there for her.” She rubbed her cheek against his hair. “Just as your father is for me, son. Watch your daddy and you will see just how a soul tie should act.”

Groaning behind her, he muttered under his breath, but at least he was following. “You are just planning on embarrassing me the entire walk, aren’t you?” he asked softly close at her side. “You know I hate when you do that, Violet. Just leave me out of these lessons please, love.”

“Why? You are the best model for him, Titan. You are the best of men that a woman could ever have for a soul tie so why shouldn’t he emulate you, love?”

Because he wasn’t and he knew it. Violet was the only one that seemed blind to his obvious faults. “Whatever you wish, love,” he murmured, falling back a step so he wouldn’t have to listen to whatever lessons she was providing their son and only prayed the boy could one day forgive him for it all.

As Violet walked with Delfan she spoke of the things that made a man a good man. She spoke of the simple things and of how one day he would find his soul tie and he would give her so much love. He would be willing to give all of himself to her and her alone. Finally making their son’s bedroom she paused and smiled. “I think our little man is needing a nap, however.”

Nodding Titan followed behind her into the bedroom and waited as she tucked him into his bed. Moving closer he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. “Rest well, my son,” he murmured, making him a silent promise to speak with him later about his mother and her ideals.

When he pulled back Violet went into his arms and hugged Titan tightly. “He’s perfect, Titan. Delfan is the perfect little boy but how could we ever have expected anything less since he is your son?”

And then she kept on saying things like that. She knew he hated hearing compliments. All men of their species did. It went against everything they were. His cheeks heating he patted her back even as he squirmed under her appraisal.

She looked up at him and smiled. “How about you and I go and have some quiet time, Titan? Sitting before a fire to hopefully get the chill of winter out of our bones and just simply enjoy the moment’s peace that we have?”

Nodding to her he nudged her toward the door. His gaze falling on his son for a moment, and smiling slightly, he followed on her heels. Closing the door to the nursery most of the way, leaving just enough of a gap to hear if Delfan needed them, he watched his wife move, thrilled to his very soul by her.

Violet looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. “Do you realize that I can feel you watching me each time that you watch me and the way that I move? I don’t know why but I can feel your eyes on me when you’re watching me walk.”

“Probably because I’m imagining all sorts of wicked and deliciously divine things to do with your lithe and luscious body,” he told her in a low and needy tone but kept his expression and body relaxed at her sharp look.

“Well who am I to argue with what a man wants?” Violet turned and looked him up and down. “Because I have to tell you, Titan, this is a complete win for me, darling.”

“I sort of figured you would think that,” he murmured to her as he stalked slowly closer to her. When he was but a couple feet away, he shot out his arm and pulled her off her feet against his chest. “I think we should have a long hot bath together and perhaps a massage for my Lady wife after?” he asked with a hint of a smile.

“Oh honey.” She ran her hands slowly over his chest. “Are you telling me that you will give me a massage or that you will have someone else come in and oil their hands up, rubbing and touching my naked body all over?” She sounded very hopeful.

Growling at her he knew the beast pushed at the edges of his sanity. “No one touches your body with oil but for me, love,” he said softly, his voice more than a little guttural. Lowering his head he bit her shoulder in reprimand. “You ever have any but a female give you a massage and I will be very, very upset.”

“That’s a good thing because you’re the only one that I want to give me a massage so you need to make sure that you have that in the back of your mind, sweetheart.” Shivering slightly she added, “And no one gets to massage you with oil, male or female, just me.”

“Done,” he told her softly, sliding his tongue over the small scrapes he’d caused on her skin. “So, do you want your massage or are we going to continue on this line of discussion with no action?” he asked with a hint of a smile in his voice.

“Oh no, I want my massage. I want to feel your oily hands over my body and slicking me up.” She looked into his eyes as she added, “I want to feel your fingers all slick with oil moving in and out of both my ass and there, but only if you’re okay with it…”

“Darling, I’m okay with anything that you are good with, you know that,” he told her softly, touching her cheek gently with his lips. “As long as it pleasures you it pleasures me. It’s how our relationship works.”

“Well we are in trouble because what pleases you pleases me as well so either everything will make us happy and give us pleasure or we are both giving the pleasure to the other without really knowing it.” She was confusing with her words, and must have realized it as she held up a hand with a resigned look on her face. “Don’t.” She nodded. “All right, let’s you and I get out of here, shall we?”

Nodding he encouraged her on her way down the hall with a shake of his head. He’d figured out what she’d been trying to say even though she’d appeared confused by her twisting and turning logic. It all made total sense but he’d keep that to himself for a while and just enjoy the view. Which, he smiled, he noticed was all the better with her swinging her hips ever so much more enthusiastically.

She turned back when they entered their bedroom and without even pausing began to strip off her clothes. “How long has it been, Titan?” It felt like an eternity since they had been together now that she mentioned it. “Gods you are giving me that look.” She smiled slightly and tipped her head. “Oh yes, that one.”

“Too long,” he said, his voice nearly a purr as the beast rose up slightly, the need for their soul tie strong. “Much, much too long.” He breathed out as he began to toss his clothing every which way uncaring if everything wrinkled. His need for her too much for him to think on anything but her.

As soon as they were both naked they met in the middle of the room, her jumping into his arms and him catching her as they began to kiss fiercely even as she took him into her body roughly. Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging it and then pulling back. “We both need to scream, Titan. Gods help us, we can’t ever wait this long again.”

“Never,” he promised in a guttural tone, turning to push her back to the wall. Gripping her bottom in rough hands though he was careful not to hurt her he drove his body into hers, more of a rutting than love making. He needed the edge off his desires. It had been too damned long.

She wasn’t complaining because she was just as desperate and needy, her hands proving that as they didn’t stay on one part of him long. They had been away from each other for too long, with the way that things happened after Delfan’s birth. She kissed him with the same rough need as he did, demanding satisfaction.

Sucking on her tongue and drinking in her taste Titan let the beast slip its leash to claim his mate once more. Growling deep in his throat he marked her as his with each thrust of his hips, his cock spearing her cunt deeper and deeper each time. He had been so afraid for her and he knew some of that desperation was fueling him. Uncaring, he just loved his woman.

Violet’s hands moved over his shoulders, up his neck, and back down again. Releasing her lips finally so they could breathe, she threw her head back and gasped, shuddering there in his arms.

Burying himself deep into her pussy he shuddered his own release, her name a prayer that slipped past his lips to blend with her own sounds of pleasure. Wrapping her closer he held her to him tightly, sucking in air over and over again and trying, unsuccessfully, to lower his heart rate from frantic to normal.

She simply held onto him for many long minutes until finally she whispered, “I love you, Titan.” Rubbing her cheek against his lip she squeezed.

“Love you, Violet,” he gasped out, his knees shaking slightly. Shuddering he lifted his head to look at her. “We should go and lay down I think,” he told her, not sure if he could actually keep them upright for much longer.

“Yes, I agree totally because I can’t stand right now and you’re shaking.” She looked up to him and smiled. “Bed, we need the bed, husband. We will rest and nap and do this all over again and again as much as we possibly can before we need to get up and feed our son.”

With her hopeful thoughts in mind he lifted her away from the wall and, cradling her close, wove a path to their bed. Hitting his knees on the mattress with a small grunt he inched up the bed before lying down with her and, in a last burst of energy, rolled to his back so he didn’t squish her.

She rolled at him, tugging the blankets up and over them before she closed her eyes and kissed his chest before falling asleep against his side.

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Violet, love of my life,” Titan called to her, again. “Darling, you need to wake up, my sweet,” he told her and wondered how she wasn’t already. “Violet, your son is climbing out the window to meet with some strange girl in the hopes of having sex,” he told her in a desperate need to get her awake so their son’s hungry cries could be answered.

“You are an evil man, Titan.” Violet grumbled but moved from their warm bed with laughter on her lips. “You are as able as I am to feed our son, love. Come on, Titan, you get to change the diaper afterward.”

“I would have fed him, but I have this dead weight of a delightful female on my chest and, though I could have tossed her off, I was living in fear of the reprisal,” he teased her, hating to hear the pain in her voice. She couldn’t feed her babe as she wished and he knew it was cutting her deep each time the reminder was made.

“Well it’s a good thing you didn’t throw me off.” She smiled and moved toward the door as she belted his robe around her middle. “Are you coming, husband?”

Rolling his eyes he rolled off the bed and, snagging up a pair of pants, tugged them on as he hopped after her and buttoned them. Catching up with her he stroked his hands over her hips. “I love you, Violet,” he murmured, kissing her neck as they reached their annoyed son.

“That’s a very good thing.” She placed her hands on his only a moment before she pulled away and moved to their son. “Hello there, Delfan, Mommy didn’t want to wake, love.” She leaned in and picked him up even while looking to Titan. “Will you get our bottle, darling?” she asked and took a seat, offering up her finger to Delfan to stall the progress of his cries while she began to slowly rock him.

Grabbing the bottle he warmed it between his palms as he walked back over to her. Sitting on the floor at her feet he passed the bottle up and leaned his head to her knee. Stroking a hand up and down her calf he watched as Delfan took the bottle with hunger and snorted for a moment in displeasure before settling down to eat.

She stared at Delfan as he suckled for several long minutes before she smiled down at him. “Thank you for sharing this with me, Titan. I’m sure that not every man wants to have to get up at all hours of the night just to spend it feeding their son.”

“The smart ones do,” he told her with a soft smile that turned devilish. “If he ever wants another peaceful night’s rest that is,” he teased, tongue in cheek. Chuckling when she shot him a look he rubbed his cheek on her leg. “I never want to miss anything in his life if I can help it. I know I won’t always be around for all of the moments, but the ones I am here for I intend to have tucked away in my memories.”

She smiled and nodded. “I know. It will be hard when we can’t be there for him but while we can we will make as many really great memories as we can.” Looking down into the face of their son she smiled. “I know he will have to be sent to Academy when he hits puberty but we will need to work with him a lot before then.” They had to teach him to always be on his guard, and more than that how to deal with the visions, if hers was accurate.

“He’ll be just fine, love. If he’s anything like you, he’ll be strong and firm in his resolve,” he said softly. “I know that he’ll be great, just as his mother is.”

“You are too sweet, love.” Violet closed her eyes and sighed. “I guess only time will tell, right?” She hated to leave it to chance, to time, but in the end that was all they could do.

“We’ll be there for him, love, and we will guide him,” he said softly and then grinned. “Well, technically you will guide him in this. I’ll be there for moral support.”

“You will guide him in a lot, Titan, in how to protect himself when he is away from us for one.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “We will have a lot that we will need to teach him in a short amount of time. Are you certain that we can do this, darling?”

Nodding so she’d feel the action on her leg he squeezed her calf gently. “We are together in this, love. We can do anything as a unit. Believe in us, love, in our love for one another and our son and we’ll never fail.”

Violet smiled and nodded. “I fully believe in you, darling. I believe in us as well.” Because in all honesty she did believe in them. “I need to burp him now. Will you take his bottle?” she asked after a time when she took the bottle from Delfan’s lips and smiled as he kicked and moved in displeasure.

Taking the bottle from her he watched her as she adjusted their son and rubbed his back. “You had better believe in us, love, because I know I do and I know that between us nothing is impossible.”

As she rubbed at Delfan’s back Violet only nodded. “It’s just so vivid.” She admitted, “The vision of what’s to come. It’s haunting me, Titan, and I’m trying to keep it at bay but I’m afraid that we will miss a step somewhere. I need you to make sure that he is ready, that we are ready, Titan. I can’t do this alone and like you said, between the two of us nothing is impossible.”

Kissing her knee gently he smiled up at her. “A little faith, darling. Now.” He sat up to look at her full on. “I think we should take the little man to the kitchen, get some food, and let the staff coo and make faces at our baby.”

Violet smiled a slightly watery smile and as she dashed at the tears grumbled about “hormones.” Standing with their son in her arms she nuzzled against his little head as he looked up at her. “Oh my little man.” She whispered, “Mommy loves you so very much. Daddy and I will ensure you’re safe until you can ensure your own safety.”

Shaking his head at the silliness of his woman Titan wrapped his arm around them both and guided them out of the nursery. “I think he’s going to have the best of lives, Vi,” he commented softly. “I don’t see the future and pray I never do, too scary for me.” He grinned. “But I think he will have a great life, lots of friends, and a love that will truly be more than either of us could ever hope for him.”

“I know that he will. I just hope that he will recognize her instead of shunning her the way that I think he will. Anyway, we will help him as best we can when we can, Titan, all right?”

“Of course we will, love,” he told her quietly, hugging her a little closer before loosening his hold to give her ease of walking and moving. “I don’t know what our son will do when he finds his soul tie, but I have a feeling that he’ll resist until she makes him realize how dumb that plan of action is.”

Violet snorted and chuckled. “Seems I know someone who was kinda like that, too.” She winked at him and then heaved a big sigh. “Well whatever he does I hope that it’s going to be right for him, right for what he has happening in his life, Titan.”

“Of course it will be,” Titan murmured softly and wondered if she was rubbing off on him more than he realized. He had the oddest feeling at her words. Rubbing his hand up and down her back he guided her to the kitchen and the awaiting staff.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Several years later

“Mommy,” the little dark-haired boy spoke softly as he looked up at his mother, “I don’t want you and Daddy to go to the trip because there is someone who is going to try to kill you and then me.” He said it so casually, so simply that it took Violet several seconds to realize just what he had said.

“Delfan,” she whispered and looked up to see if Titan was close enough to hear what their son said, “what do you mean that someone is going to try to kill me and then you?”

“Because it’s in the daydreams that keep coming, Mommy. You are there but there’s somebody else who always makes me feel better.” He shrugged. “But she’s not there for me for a long time, Mommy. It’s sad to grow up without her.”

Violet’s heart clenched because she knew what Delfan was saying. He would lose a woman he cared for before his soul tie came in and that was going to hurt him, but the way that he saw it, it was killing her.

Walking closer to his family Titan froze at the look of absolute sorrow on his soul tie’s face. Picking up the pace he touched her as soon as he reached them. “What’s wrong ?” he asked in a gentle voice trying not to panic, but he was damned close to it.

“Later, Titan.” She shook her head at him, her gaze darting to their son and back to him a couple of times. “Delfan, why don’t you show your father what you can do now.” She moved toward Titan and wrapped her arms around his middle and just held on. They stood watching their son as he moved through the motions once more and showed his father the way he had mastered his newest trick with the bow and arrows.

One eye on their son Titan held his soul tie close, his hands moving in soothing motions over her back trying to calm her. He could feel the tension radiating from her body and knew that something was up, something huge. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head he praised his son as he watched amazed at the skill with which he held and used the bow.

* * * *

Many hours later Titan and Violet lay in their bed, naked and limbs intertwined when she said, “He is having more visions, Titan.” She whispered, “He told me that he knows that he will have one woman break his heart because she isn’t his soul tie but he will care for her anyway.” She said with a sadness she couldn’t hide, “But he also knows that one day he will have a soul tie, but first he will be hurt.”

“It is the same as the one you had early in your pregnancy,” he murmured softly stroking his fingers leisurely up and down her arm. “There is nothing we can do about it, Violet. It’s not like he can avoid all women so he does not have to suffer the loss. Because, from what you said and what you are telling me he’s imparted to you, if he does not have the loss he will never meet his soul tie.”

“I know, Titan, but it doesn’t make it any better,” she said simply. “It hurts to hear him say these things, to know that he is having the same visions of the future that I am.” She whispered and looked up at him, “And no, if he doesn’t have the loss he will never meet his soul tie. Their paths will never cross without this injury to his soul.”

“The die is cast love,” Titan murmured softly. “All we can do is be there for him and help him to see beyond the pain he will suffer, to look and truly see what he might be missing by savoring and holding his pain too close. But we can’t push, Violet. No matter how much it pains us to see him with the pain in his eyes, we need to allow him to go at his own pace.”

“I know, Titan, I’m just very worried,” she admitted and closed her eyes. “I’m worried about our son, darling. I’m forever worried about him as I will always be.” Rubbing her cheek against his chest she smiled. “For now we will simply love him, give him guidance, and we will love each other, sweetheart.”

Nodding enthusiastically he grinned at her look. “I like the loving each other part of that, a lot,” he emphasized, pulling her closer to prove how much he liked the idea. “Don’t worry so much about Delfan, love. In life there is pain, there is loss, but it’s what we find in the end, the ever-after love that keeps us moving forward despite everything the universe throws our way to test us again and again.”

“There is that. We have that elusive fairy tale that we have before thought we would never have.” Violet paused and then said, “For far too long your people, now our people, have been lost to love. Lost to that thing that you and I have.”

“But slowly they are beginning to find it once again,” he said with a smile to her. “Little by little, generation by generation we build the foundation of love once more. We make our people stronger with each child we send forth from a loving and solid family. They build their families in the same manner and so forth and so forth until it is the most secure and impenetrable foundation of all.”

“I have to agree.” Her smile was there and clear. “We make it stronger by making our children stronger who will make their children stronger.” Touching his cheek she added, “I can’t see past the war that our son brings to the Alliance Council though, Titan. I can’t see past that moment when he stands in the halls of the Council with his soul tie at his side and declares that their reign of fear is over, that the old ways are gone.”

“Maybe because it hasn’t yet been decided,” he murmured. “It could be a time before it comes to pass, love. Things will shift, balances will adjust, and events will occur. Only when it comes to pass will you know what is coming or what could be coming to us all. Try not to worry about it. There is only so much of the future that we can change.”

“I simply hope and pray that it is enough, Titan,” Violet told him honestly and sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned into him. “Have you learned any more about the supposed assassination attempts that have been called out on Delfan by my mother, Titan?” Her mother wanted Delfan dead. She wanted the young boy’s life to be taken because he would bring about not only the end of the Alliance but the Syndicate as well and she was running scared.

Sighing he pushed a hand through his hair, the strands going spiky from the movement. She realized she’d hit a sore spot for him. “Last I heard from the scouts was that she was MIA. She’s bugged out of her home and is in hiding with about a dozen men to protect her at all times. Her staff was left behind, and are all more than a little confused. The man I have in charge is using her house as a base as they search it for any clues as to where she may have gone. They did find a journal but it all seems to be in code. I told them to send it to us for you to look over,” he told her softly.

“Hopefully it will be in a code that I can understand,” Violet said honestly. “She developed one that I know of after I left because she couldn’t stand the thought of me, someone she thought was lacking, knowing all her tricks.” She would try to break the code, however. She would do what she had to in order to ensure that her mother was caught and her son was safe.

“You’ve likely got a better shot than any other on our world, love,” he told her, softly rubbing at her back gently. “You at least know the woman and will have an idea of how her mind might work where we’d all be blind.”

“I hope so, Titan, I really hope so, love.” She sighed. “We will work it out, darling. Get me the journal and I will figure out how to decode it if it’s in one that I don’t know.” She was honestly worried that it was one that she did know because that would mean her mother wanted her to know what was in it.

“It’s okay, love, I’ll have it in another few days and we’ll go from there. If you can figure it out great, if not we will have the crypto people work on it until we figure something out. Perhaps have you work with them as well to help them get inside her mind. But.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead he gave her a squeeze. “We will worry about it later. For now, now all I want to do is hold you close and love you until you can’t move if you are interested.”

Snorting she shook her head. “If I’m interested? Are you silly, mister? Of course I’m interested. I’m always interested in having you inside of me, a part of me, and loving me so well that I can’t breathe without breathing you in.”

“See”—he breathed out—“this is exactly why I love you so much, Violet. You have such a wonderful and amazing way with words that describe the way things are so well.” Kissing her slowly he pulled her closer to him and rolled to pin her under him.

Violet’s legs automatically wrapped him close and tight. Smiling up at him she traced her fingers over his lips. “I’ve learned from the best.” She touched the tip of his nose and added, “That’s you by the way. You are the best of the absolute best.”

“So you say,” he replied with a grin. “I happen to think it’s all you,” he teased, nipping her lips lightly as he pressed his cock deeper into her pussy. “Gods, I don’t think that I will ever get enough of you. There will never be enough time to even try to fully satisfy my starvation for you, my wife.”

Her breathing hitched as she moved under him. “I will never have enough of you either, husband. Gods I love you.” She breathed. She moved off of him and then took his cock deeper once more. “More, Titan, harder, more. Everything.” She was discombobulated but her point got across delightfully.

Obeying her words he did just what she wanted. He moved faster, harder and gave her everything she’d demanded. He breathed out over her lips as he nibbled on her mouth.

Violet was going to melt. She knew that she was going to simply melt and die and she honestly couldn’t find it in her to care. “Titan,” she whimpered, her breath catching until once more, “Titan, gods, now.” She sobbed and then screamed for him, his name on her lips as her voice cracked with her shout.

He pounded into her pussy as she began to tighten around him, his thrusts almost painful. He growled out her name quite loudly as he came with one final thrust into her spasming pussy. With a shudder he collapsed over her as they both fought for air.

As they lay there with their limbs intertwined Violet held him close to her heart. It was sometime later before she even slightly moved and whispered, “I love you, husband.” He was everything to her. She loved her son, yes, but her husband, he was everything.

“I know,” he teased and then laughed when she smacked him lightly. “I love you, too, my beautiful wife,” he whispered, hugging her close.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Waking suddenly Titan blinked as he tried to focus on the present and sat up slightly. Shoving a hand through his hair he frowned. “Violet?” he called softly, realizing she wasn’t in the bed. Slipping his legs over the side of the bed he paused as his dream came back to him and he shuddered.

It had been Delfan with a woman and a man with a blade hovering on the edges as they’d slept. The blade had flashed in the dim light and then it was lifted and, just before it struck the female’s body, Titan had woken. “Vi?” he called, pushing to his feet, nausea sweeping over him. He had to stop listening so closely to his soul tie’s visions of their son. He was now making up new and horrifying things in his dreams.

“I’m in the bath, Titan,” she called which was followed with a splash of water and a muttered curse. “Come and join me if you like. I have a monster of a headache,” she gave to him as he opened the door. “You were sound asleep and so I just got up and ran a bath.”

Stumbling into the room he winced as he banged his ankle and cursed as he hopped toward the bath. Nearly falling in he saved himself and then, the next moment, he eased in across from her. “I can sympathize,” he said softly, “I’ve got one building and I’m completely blaming my bizarre and creepy dream.”

Handing him a cloth that was folded in half she sighed. “Put that over your eyes. It has some oils on it that should help the ache and then later we will discuss the dreams,” Violet told him as she adjusted her legs to lay over his in the warm water.

Lifting it to his nose he sniffed carefully at it. One thing he’d learned with living with his wife, her sense of smell was nowhere near as strong as his and that she occasionally, probably by accident, tried to kill him. Not smelling anything too hazardous to his well-being, he shrugged and, laying his head back, he slid deeper into the tub and did as she suggested.

Yawning as they both settled in together Violet smiled. “The water will grow cool soon. When it does we will go back to bed to sleep off our headache.” Another yawn escaped her as she settled in for a light nap in the bathtub.

Lifting his cloth he watched her and grinned gently, poking her with a foot. “No sleeping, woman,” he rumbled softly to her. “You fall asleep and I’ll just drain the tub and leave you here.” Not likely, but he wasn’t exactly feeling up to lifting her out of the tub and killing them both when he fell down.

“Why can’t I sleep?” she grumbled. “It won’t be for long, just until the water begins to cool then I will get out, I promise,” she snipped and placed her foot on his chest. “Besides, once we nap lightly a little more our headaches should be gone and then”—she wiggled suggestively—“well you know.”

Sliding his foot up her inner leg he teased the curls at the apex of her pussy with his toes. “I like the way your mind works, love,” he murmured, letting the cloth fall and his head fall back to the edge of the tub. Putting his hands on her foot he gently began to massage her even as his slid a toe to rub at her clitoris.

Open to him as she was she let him feel what he was doing to her and even as she did so she stroked her fingers lightly up and down his legs. Biting her lip she grabbed his foot and panted. “I don’t want to get off in here, Titan. I want it to be where you can experience it as well.”

“Oh darling, I am experiencing it,” he murmured with a chuckle. “But if you would rather, I’ll behave.” Violet snorted and moved her hands over his calves. “Don’t you dare stop, Titan.” Suddenly her headache was gone and the only ache she had was being soothed by his toes. “But just keep in mind that I need you as achy and needy as I am.”

“Darling, I’m a walking hormone when you are within a mile of me. Which is all the time since we are so rarely parted. I constantly have an erection, hard and throbbing in need to be buried between your legs, pumping in and out of your pussy.” Stroking his toes down said pussy he teased her opening as he teased her with words as well as actions.

“I’m glad that I’m not the only one who is always in need.” Violet shifted slightly and smiled up at him. “Somehow, however, I keep getting the feeling you want me to close this space between us and climb into your lap so that both our aches can be assuaged, is this truth?”

“Nope, I’m good,” he said. “Besides, if we make love in the tub again the maids will have a fit at all the cleanup they’ll need to do, again.”

Shaking her head Violet had to grin. “Then I’m getting out, Titan.” She moved from his wonderful touches with a pained sigh. “Because this is killing me.” She was achy and needy and if he wasn’t careful she was soon going to be very grumpy with him.

Lifting his cloth he winced in the light and squinted at her. “I don’t think I can get out, or rather not without doing serious damage to myself,” he muttered. “Come back for me later, I’m just going to stay here until my body relaxes just a bit.”

“I won’t leave you alone but I will sit out here and just watch you for a time.” She didn’t trust leaving him alone. She was worried that he would drown himself or something like that.

Smiling at her Titan chuckled. “You could just give me mouth-to-mouth, love of my life,” he pointed out wiggling his brows suggestively at her. “I’d be so grateful I’m sure I would only protest mildly if you wanted payment in the form of my body.”

Violet had to laugh. He was a rascal, and she loved him dearly. “I would give you mouth-to-mouth. However you are breathing, healthy, and safe, darling, so there is no need.” She eyed him up and down. “And I will always take payment in the form of your body, however.” She paused and had an impish look on her face as she finished with, “You are getting wrinkly in places that weren’t meant to be wrinkly.”

“So kind of you to point that out.” He grinned up at her. Reaching behind him he tugged on the release and sat there as the water began to drain. “This way I won’t make a mess when I struggle to get back out of here,” he explained at her look.

“I can help you out, Titan. You know that I’m stronger than I look.” A grin on her face, she held out her hands. “Come on, darling. Let me help you up all right?”

Eyeing her hands with an unsure expression he finally reached out his own and let her assist him up from the tub. Throwing out a hand he braced himself up against the wall as he turned a little paler. “I don’t like these headaches, love. If I didn’t know better I’d say you sicced one on me in retribution.”

“I didn’t, honey, but it is hard to deal with. Breathing in and out rhythmically helps but you need to find something to focus on, something to center yourself with.” Violet hoped that she was helping him to calm the pain that he seemed to be feeling. “I don’t understand how my dreams and visions are bleeding off over into you.” They had been together for a very long time so it shouldn’t surprise her that he was so close to her he was all but a part of her very soul.

“Heck if I know,” he muttered as he finally made it out of the tub with a grimace of pain that he didn’t quite hide from her. “I tried focusing on something to center me but she kept moving on me so my focus kept shifting around.” Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he walked with her to the bedroom. “At least it’s dark in here,” he mumbled before crawling onto the bed and just flopped down onto his stomach. “Gods that feels good.”

“Then rest, Titan.” Violet smiled and curled up next to him even as she pulled the blankets up and around him. “Rest, I’m going to be sleeping, too, so when we wake we should be minus the headaches and you can retry your focusing techniques.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he murmured, shifting enough to wrap an arm around her, and pulled her closer. Shifting he rested his head on her shoulder. “I love you, darling.” He yawned the words and moments later was sound asleep.

Violet held him close and soon drifted off to sleep as well. “I love you, too,” she whispered before falling sound asleep there in his arms, holding him close as she did so.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sitting upright again as the dream hit him hard once more Titan sat panting hard, fighting for air and to calm his heart rate down to normal. Pressing his hand to his chest he shuddered in reaction to the nightmare scene he’d had to witness again.

“Titan?” Violet asked from the chair where she was sitting. “How is that possible? I left the bed as soon as the first hints of prophesy touched me so how can you feel it, too?”

Staring across the room at her he let out another shuddering breath. “Because we’re tied together, love,” he said softly. “Because you and I are tied together on many levels, not just our souls. We share each other’s hearts and minds often. It was bound to happen eventually, but it doesn’t explain why I had the same dream earlier, before I found you in the tub. Or last night.” He’d just remembered it. “When you were already up and about, not even in the bed touching me.”

“Could it be because it was the last vision I had or because that was the one that is the most intense? The one that was the most shocking because it showed our son very vulnerable?”

Shifting to sit on the edge of the bed closest to her he shrugged as he settled the blankets in his lap. “I don’t know, love,” he murmured softly. Rubbing at his temples he looked at her. “Why are you all the way over there, love?” he asked, holding out a hand. “Come here, Vi, I need to be able to hold you, especially after what I’ve seen too many times for my own liking.”

Violet couldn’t argue with him because she felt the same way. She needed to be held by him and also hold him close. Violet had no idea what was coming or what their son would have to live through but if the visions were anything, it was going to be brutal and hard on him. It was going to test him and his mate to the fullest extent of their capabilities.

Wrapping her in his arms as she rejoined him he laid them both down, shifting until they were entwined once more. “Better,” he murmured softly. Stroking his hands up and down her sides his body began to relax.

“You have given me the best of lives, Titan,” Violet whispered softly. “I think I’ve always known, from the first second you found the vessel I escaped in I’ve known that you and only you were the one for me.” She yawned and rubbed her cheek against his chest. He gave her that. The ability to look at her past and not cringe, not cry in fear, and not feel shame. He gave her herself back and for that she would never be able to thank him enough.

Pressing a kiss to her hair he smiled. “I knew you would be very important in my life that first moment I saw you,” he whispered softly. “I just didn’t realize how special you would be to me as you were driving me crazy.”

“I did drive you crazy, didn’t I?” she asked with a smile. “But it was completely and totally your fault you know. You shouldn’t have been so dead sexy, Titan, so smoldering with hotness that I just wanted to climb up and be a part of your life.”

Eyeing her he shook his head. “You are so full of it, woman,” he scoffed at her with a grin. Stroking his fingers over her cheek he kissed her lightly. “But I forgive you for all the hassle you gave me. You are beautiful enough to easily be forgiven.”

“Then that’s a good thing that I have good looks on my side.” Violet leaned in and kissed him back. “But for now I really think that we need to move or we will again be a part of each other.”

Knowing he wouldn’t be going back to sleep, mainly because he couldn’t stand to see the “vision” again he nodded. “Let’s go and get some breakfast, love,” he said softly. They both needed to eat even if they didn’t feel like it. “I could use a good cup of coffee today I think.” An oddity since he never drank it unless he was beyond exhausted.

“I think that sounds like a really good idea.” Violet sighed and gave a slow nod even as her face twisted slightly. “I’m more than perfectly fine with us going and finding some food, and coffee for you.” Because both of them needed time to process the vision, mostly him though. She would likely figure it out long before he ever could. Hopefully she’d help him out and just share.

Pulling her close he kissed her softly. “I love you, Vi, we’ll figure it all out and help our son stay safe and keep the one for him safe. I swear it,” he murmured, hoping she’d believe him and take him at his word. He hated to see her so afraid, so scared that he could taste it in the air and he could do nothing to alleviate it.

“I know, Titan. Together you and I will be able to do anything.” Violet had complete and total confidence in herself and her husband, especially when they worked together.

THE END

WWW.HONOR-JAMES.NET

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in the mid-seventies, this thirty-something woman has only been writing for the last six years of her life, faithfully that is. Honor has always been scribbling a phrase, a curious word, or the oddest of thoughts down on anything she could find laying about. Now she piles them up before her and, if one catches her fancy, she further explores it to whatever its end might be.

A lover of books, her reading material spans from Shakespeare to mysteries and all the way to the erotic. Anything and everything she can lay her hands on she’ll read. Though, these days, she leans more toward the paranormal than anything else.

Poetry was her first love, lasting about three solid years. Don’t ask. She won’t show many of them to anyone. Then short stories became the focus and finally she began to write for more than just writing what came to mind. She started to write for pleasure and to tell the story that begged to be told.

Life and family came next. Working full-time as a customer service representative and raising two children got in the way, and the writing that she so loved as a teenager seemed to be pushed off to the back burner of everything.

So several years passed and her children turned into more than the babies that demanded her attention and into young children and then teenagers with different demands, ones that allowed her to once more spread her imagination to the wind and ask for more, want more.

As with all great things, the door to her notebook-written world might have been closed and placed on hold, but where a door closes another one opens, and in this case it was with the advent of buying a computer.

Honor spends many a sleepless night pounding at the keyboards. She is a consummate professional in her daytime career. However, at night her visions swing to the fantastical and in those long hours after the children and husband are in bed, she weaves together words and blends up stories that not only bring a whole new meaning to romance, but sizzle the pages with a heat that will have the readers begging for more.

For all titles by Honor James, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/honor-james-0

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Table of Contents

- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
- Chapter Twenty-Three
- Chapter Twenty-Four
- Chapter Twenty-Five
- Chapter Twenty-Six
- Chapter Twenty-Seven
- Chapter Twenty-Eight
- Chapter Twenty-Nine
- About the Author